In the 26th year of the First Amendment Press Freedom Award, 26 schools from 12 U.S. states and the United Kingdom have been named 2026 award recipients. Three additional schools received Press Freedom Commendations.

The First Amendment Press Freedom Award is co-adjudicated by the Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society. It 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 these schools for their support of student voices.

Schools 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 who won the award the previous year had a more streamlined process in rounds one and two, but if any of their advisers or supervising administrators changed, they went through the normal round two process.

2026 First Amendment Press Freedom Award winners are as follows:

• Albany (California) High School
• The American School in London, England
• The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
• Brighton (Colorado) High School
• Chantilly (Virginia) High School
• COACH Academic Classes, Normal, Oklahoma
• Delaware Valley Regional High School, Frenchtown, New Jersey
• Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta, California
• Francis Howell North High School, Saint Charles, Missouri
• The Harker School, San Jose, California
• Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School
• Homestead High School, San Jose, California
• Liberty High School, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri
• Loudoun Valley High School, Purcellville, Virginia
• Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California
• McLean (Virginia) High School
• Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
• Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
• North Central High School, Indianapolis
• Palo Alto (California) High School
• Rock Canyon High School, Littleton, Colorado
• South Salem High School, Salem, Oregon
• Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York
• Waterloo West High School, Waterloo, Iowa
• Weir High School, Weirton, West Virginia
• Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

For the second consecutive year, three additional schools have 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 2026 Press Freedom Commendation winners are:

• Rutherford B. Hayes High School, Delaware, Ohio
• West Albany High School, Albany, Oregon
• West Linn (Oregon) High School

Many of this year’s winning schools promote the First Amendment and student journalism beyond facilitating student media programs. On this Student Press Freedom Day, Delaware Valley Regional High School is hosting its annual Hunterdon County Student Media Convention, in which central New Jersey students can learn from media professionals, including journalists, podcasters and yearbook specialists.

“Our school demonstrates strong support for the First Amendment by providing students with meaningful opportunities to practice free expression in authentic, real-world settings,” Delaware Valley yearbook adviser Bessy Kapetanakis said. “Student media courses are structured to emphasize student voice, editorial responsibility and ethical decision-making, with advisers serving as mentors rather than gatekeepers.”

At least once a quarter, Whitney High School media students hold an activity about the First Amendment, such as a giveaway or contest, for the student body at large. Assistant principal Penelope Shelton called the program “an exceptional model for all high schools.”

“The student-run journalism program and administration at Whitney High School could not be any stronger,” Shelton said. “As administrators, we have the utmost trust in our journalism students’ professionalism and mission to report to the WHS students and community, with integrity and peer-reviewed reflection. … At a time in our nation when our constitutional freedoms appear to be under attack, I could not be more proud of the WHS students who know, live and will uphold the rights afforded to us under the First Amendment.”

These 29 schools will be honored April 16 as part of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Minneapolis.

Applications for 2027 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.