Sixteen schools were named 2025 First Amendment Press Freedom Award winners. Five additional schools received new Press Freedom Commendations.
The First Amendment Press Freedom Award recognizes private and public high schools that actively support, teach and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities of students and teachers, with an emphasis on student-run media where students make all final decisions of content through policies and practice. Today, on Student Press Freedom Day, we honor those schools for their support of student voices. This is the 25th year for the award.
For the first time, five schools received Press Freedom Commendations in recognition of the fact their campuses permit press freedom in practice despite district policies and procedures that allow prior review and the threat of censorship.
The Press Freedom Commendation winners are:
- Chantilly (Virginia) High School
- James Bowie High School, Austin
- McLean (Virginia) High School
- North Central High School, Indianapolis
- South Salem (Oregon) High School
As in previous years, all schools — regardless of which designation they received — competed for the distinction by first answering questionnaires submitted by an adviser and at least one editor; those who advanced to the next level were asked to provide responses from an administrator, all media advisers and a student editor from each publication. In addition, semifinalists submitted their published district, school and media policies. Schools that won the award the previous year had a more streamlined process in Rounds 1 and 2, but if any of their advisers or supervising administrators changed, they went through the normal Round 2 process.
2025 First Amendment Press Freedom Award winners are as follows:
- The American School in London, United Kingdom
- The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
- Brighton (Colorado) High School
- Francis Howell North (Missouri) High School
- The Harker School, San Jose, California
- Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School
- Liberty (Wentzville) High School, Lake St. Louis, Missouri
- Loudoun Valley High School, Purcellville, Virginia
- Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California
- Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
- Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
- Palo Alto (California) Senior High School
- Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York
- Wayland (Massachusetts) High School
- Weir High School, Weirton, West Virginia
- Whitney High School, Rocklin, California
A committee with representatives from the Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society chose the winners.
Administrators at all schools showed enthusiasm for student speech not only in their student media but across the campus.
Ryan Dunbar, the assistant principal of English at Townsend Harris High School, said the First Amendment is embedded throughout their school’s curriculum.
“We have been told by our principal that protecting and supporting our students’ right to free speech is part of the school’s mission,” Dunbar said. “Students here have addressed multiple issues that are serious and controversial, but they have always done so with total professionalism and through the guidance of our faculty advisers.”
Mountlake Terrace High School is receiving the award for the 15th time. Principal Crosby Carpenter said student-led publications are necessary “for fostering an informed and engaged student body.”
“It empowers students to explore diverse perspectives, develop critical thinking skills and hold their community accountable,” Carpenter said. “Such a program serves as a vital training ground for future journalists and active citizens, promoting open dialogue and a deeper understanding of the world around them. By allowing students to report on issues relevant to their lives without censorship, schools cultivate a more transparent and democratic environment. Ultimately, a free student press strengthens the school community and prepares students for responsible participation in a democratic society.”
These 21 schools will be honored April 24 as part of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
Applications for 2026 will be available at JEA.org in the fall. First-round applications are due annually Dec. 15.
For more information about the First Amendment Press Freedom Award, please contact sprc@jea.org.
Andrea Negri, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee director