Information about Woodward Academy: woodward.edu.
Four years ago, when Rebekah Goode-Peoples arrived at Woodward Academy to teach journalism, she found the program was missing some of the foundational concepts. “It was kind of a fun class, more social than serious,” she recalls.
By restructuring the focus around writing and design skills, critical thinking and investigative reporting, Goode-Peoples transformed the course offerings. At the same time, she created a pipeline of trained students who put their skills to work on the school’s news magazine, The Blade; the Phoenix yearbook; and the literary magazine, Silent Voices.
The revamped program has paid off. Last year, Goode-Peoples was among 13 recipients of the Rising Star award, given by the Journalism Education Association. For the last two years, the literary magazine has been cited for its excellence by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. And last month, The Blade was named a 2016 Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist by the National Scholastic Press Association. Just 50 publications were selected from a field of 266, and feedback from the judges indicated that The Blade stood out for its sharp design, solid writing and powerful photos.
“They’re looking at the whole picture – the quality of the copy, how broad the coverage is, design, photography, how well the publication is communicating with the high school audience,” said Goode-Peoples. “It’s a lot of things people want in education, but they often don’t think a journalism course fits that model. We offer real-world skills that go outside the four walls of a classroom, and it’s the only class where we publish your final exams for everyone to read.”
Those guidelines can be daunting for student writers, and Goode-Peoples says they have narrowed the number of candidates willing to sign on. But those who do participate are particularly dedicated.
“They are committed to improving the quality of our publications, even though that’s sometimes a hard place to be in,” she said. “They deal with people raising questions or getting mad about the content of their work, and they have to answer for what. They take what they’re doing very seriously.”
For senior Blade writer Erin Edwards, tackling tough topics is one of the attractions to being part of the news magazine that publishes three 64-page editions during a school year. “I love being able to report on topics that aren’t talked about and subjects that are often overlooked,” she said.
Senior Aly Shakoor, The Blade’s editor-in-chief, said having a staff of only seven students means a considerable commitment of time and energy.
“We have to work harder to stay more focused,” he said. “It means long nights and some weekends. But I like writing and expressing my voice and ideas.”
Junior Maddie Ledet has been part of The Blade for four years, and it’s increased her knowledge of photography, writing and technology. It’s also provided a safe space for her to explore controversial issues.
“Last semester, I wrote about affinity groups in the student community – the feminist group, the black student group,” she said. “I talked to people in the administration and at the National Association of Independent Schools to understand how we can be more inclusive. At the same time, The Blade has created a family for me. It’s more than just an outlet for my writing.”
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