First Amendment Press Freedom Award - Journalism Education Association

Deadline: Dec. 15

About the award

If you feel your school actively supports and honors the First Amendment through its student media, consider submitting an entry for this year’s First Amendment Press Freedom Award. The award looks at the entire student media program at the school: digital and print newspaper, yearbook and student broadcast.

Information and Round One submission forms for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award (formerly the Let Freedom Ring Award) are available at the link below.

The award focuses on press freedom. Round One questions must be completed by a student editor and an adviser or administrator filling out separate forms. Please read and respond carefully to Round One questions. Even if your school has received FAPFA recognition before, you must reapply each year.

The award is juried by Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll Society.

Those schools receiving the award will be honored at the opening ceremony of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.

Application

Apply now

DEADLINE: Round One applications must be received by Dec. 15.

Those whose responses qualify them to go further in the competition will receive information about Round Two questionnaires early the following year.

If your school won the First Amendment Press Freedom Award in 2023, you could qualify for a condensed application for the 2024 award. Contact sprc@jea.org to learn more.

Application process

Regular applicant explainer video

This video explains the application process for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award. The FAPFA is an award that celebrates schools who support press freedom throughout their entire student media program. This screencast discusses the criteria for winning the award and the two-round application process.

2023 winner explainer video

We are trying out a new FAPFA application process for schools who won in 2023. The change aims to streamline the application process for last year’s winners if their student media advisers and supervising administrator haven’t changed. Watch this video to learn more about the new process and the rationale behind it.

24 years, 54 schools

Recipients

2023

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Arvada (Colorado) High School
Brighton (Colorado) High School
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, Maryland
Denver School of Science and Technology: Montview High School, Denver
The Harker School, San Jose, California
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Loudoun Valley High School, Purcellville, Virginia
McLean (Virginia) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
South Salem (Oregon) High School
Wayland (Massachusetts) High School
West Springfield (Virginia) High School
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2022

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Bellaire (Texas) High School
Brighton (Colorado) High School
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, Maryland
Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Lake Balboa, California
Denver School of Science and Technology: Montview High School, Denver
George C. Marshall High School, Falls Church, Virginia
The Harker School, San Jose, California
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Loudoun Valley High School, Purcellville, Virginia
McLean (Virginia) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
North Central High School, Indianapolis
South Salem High School, Salem, Oregon
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2021

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Brighton (Colorado) High School
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, Maryland
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
McLean (Virginia) High School
Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
South Salem High School, Salem, Oregon
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Stuart Hall High School, San Francisco
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2020

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Chantilly (Virginia.) High School
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
McLean (Virginia) High School
Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia

2019

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kan.
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Granite Bay (California) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
McLean (Virginia) High School
Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Reno (Nevada) High School
South Salem High School, Salem, Oregon
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2018

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Grosse Pointe North High School, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
McLean (Virginia) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
North Central High School, Indianapolis
Reno (Nevada) High School
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2017

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Grosse Pointe North High School, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, Colorado
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2016

The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Felix Varela High School, Miami
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, Colorado
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

2015

Chantilly (Virginia) High School
Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, Colorado
St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
Whitney High School, Rocklin, California
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School

2014

Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
North Central High School, Indianapolis
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York

2013

Francis Howell High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Lafayette High School, Wildwood, Missouri

2012

Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Johnston (Iowa) High School
John F. Kennedy High School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Orange Glen High School, Escondido, California

2011

Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Palo Alto (California) High School

2010

Annandale High School, Annandale, Virginia
La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad, California
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri

2009

Davenport (Iowa) Central High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York

2008

Davenport (Iowa) Central High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School

2007

Davenport (Iowa) Central High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Olathe (Kansas) Northwest High School
Felix Varela High School, Miami

2006

Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minnesota

2005 (as Let Freedom Ring Award)

Kirkwood (Missouri) High School

2004 (as Let Freedom Ring: America’s First Amendment High Schools Award)

Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York

2003 (as Let Freedom Ring: America’s First Amendment High Schools Award)

Johnsburg (Illinois) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minnesota

2002 (as Let Freedom Ring: America’s First Amendment High Schools Award)

Clayton (Missouri) High School
Franklin (Indiana) High School
Johnsburg (Illinois) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Lakewood (Ohio) High School
Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York

2001 (as Let Freedom Ring: America’s First Amendment High Schools Award)

Archbishop Hoban High School, Akron, Ohio
Davenport (Iowa) Central High School
Chase County Jr./Sr. High School, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
Clayton (Missouri) High School
Franklin (Indiana) Community School
Johnsburg (Illinois) High School
Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
Lakewood (Ohio) High School
Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York

2000 Charter Winners (as Let Freedom Ring: America’s First Amendment High Schools Award)

Davenport (Iowa) Central High School
Johnsburg (Illinois) High School
Lakewood (Ohio) High School
McLean (Virginia) High School
Mountlake Terrace (Washington) High School
Muncie (Indiana) Central High School
Natrona County High School, Casper, Wyoming
Oak Park High School, Kansas City, Missouri
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York

About the logo

The logo was designed by Gloria Guo in 2019. Guo was a four-year member of the journalism program and editor-in-chief of the 2018 Talon yearbook at The Harker School in San Jose, California.