High school journalism teachers from across the country will come to the University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism to learn innovative teaching skills at the Reynolds High School Journalism Institute July 13 to 25.

For two weeks, 34 high school teachers will get hands-on training in writing, reporting, multimedia, photojournalism and layout. Teachers will also engage in discussions about media ethics, news literacy and First Amendment rights.

The institutes are funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and administered by the American Society of News Editors through its Youth Journalism Initiative. UT is one of four locations that host the institutes through the summer. The others are held at Arizona State University, the University of Missouri and Kent State University.

More than 2,000 high school teachers have been through the program since it started in 2001. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation grant covers all the travel, housing and instructional expenses for the teachers. Teachers also receive paid membership into the Journalism Education Association and their state or regional scholastic press association.

Co-director George Sylvie said the institutes help prepare young journalists for the future of the industry.

“We at UT are honored and proud to be hosting our 13th Institute. We see the work of high school journalism teachers as essential to students’ present and future civic lives and the teachers themselves as crucial to the continuation of the American journalism tradition,” he said.

“In addition, over the years, the university has reaped the benefits of what this institute means, both in recruitment of young journalists and in establishing a connection to high schools and scholastic journalism innovators around the country. Such programs are central to our mission as the flagship university of Texas.”

The ASNE Youth Journalism Initiative provides journalism training and resources for teachers and students available at SchoolJournalism.org.

ASNE is the oldest professional organization for America’s newspapers and news websites. ASNE promotes fair, principled journalism; defends and protects First Amendment rights; and fights for freedom of information and open government. Leadership, innovation, diversity and inclusion in coverage and the journalism work force, youth journalism and the sharing of ideas are also key ASNE initiatives.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a Las Vegas-based philanthropic organization founded in 1954. It has committed more than $150 million to journalism initiatives nationally.

Key instructors for the UT Reynolds High School Journalism Institute:

George Sylvie, co-director: Sylvie, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, specializes in technology, change and innovation in the journalism industry. He joined the UT faculty in 1992 and served as associate director from 2001 to 2006. His research has been presented at several international conferences and has focused on newspaper editors’ styles and decision-making skills. He is the co-author of the leading media management textbook, which is now in its fourth edition. He sits on the editorial boards of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, The Journal of Media Economics, The International Journal on Media Management, and The Journal of Media Business Studies.

Ellen Austin, co-director: Austin is the director of journalism at The Harker School in San Jose, California. She has taught journalism for 15 years and previously served as an instructor at Palo Alto High School. While there, she started the nationally recognized Viking sports magazine and website and co-advised the broadcast program. She was named the Dow Jones News Fund 2012 National Journalism Teacher of the Year, the California Journalism Education Coalition Journalism Educator of the Year (High School Division) in 2011 and the Journalism Education Association Rising Star honoree in 2006.

Tracy Anne Sena, master teacher: Sena is the adviser of The Broadview student newspaper at Convent of the Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco. She is the 2007 California Journalism Educator of the Year, a JEA Medal of Merit recipient and a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser. She is a frequent presenter at journalism and technology conferences and a judge for local and national journalism organizations. She is the past president and current board member of the Journalism Education Association of Northern California, an advisory board member for the Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University and past first vice-president of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Advisers Association.

Teachers attending the 2014 UT Reynolds High School Journalism Institute

Naomi Ashman, Kamehameha Schools, Pukalani, Hawaii
Karen Beavers, Lawton High School, Lawton, Oklahoma
Sean Berleman, Palatine High School, Lake Zurich, Illinois
Shu-Ying Bonner, Keaau high School, Hawaii National Park, Hawaii
Jessica Bramer, John Marshall High School, Glen Dale, West Virginia
Tabitha Brobst, Columbia High School, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
Chuck Brouillette, Arbor Creek Middle School, Plano, Texas
Kathryn Browning, Bishop John Snyder High School, Jacksonville, Florida
Pablo Cantu, Eagle Pass High School, Eagle Pass, Texas
Jennifer Castro, Tri-City Christian School, Escondido, California
Jenee Chizick Motivos, serves students from multiple schools, Philadelphia
Lindsey Deno, Clinton Central Jr./Sr. High School, Rossville, Indiana
Shana Karnes, Morgantown High School, Morgantown, West Virginia
Jessica Kemnitz, Spectrum High School, Elk River, Minnesota
Jay Kleinrichert, Windermere Prep School, Windermere, Florida
Janell Marmon, Lakeland High School, Winter Haven, Florida
Loralyn Meadows, Stewarts Creek High School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Rebecca Mehrens, Lincoln High School, Tea, South Dakota
Jessica Miles, Rocky Mountain High School, Meridian, Idaho
Michelle Miller, Stockdale High School, San Antonio, Texas
Matthew Nelson, Hartsville High School, Hartsville, South Carolina
Heidi Novik, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Hoboken, New Jersey
Louisa Ogle, H. B. Plant High School, Tampa, Florida
Micah Pardo, Northbrook High School, Houston
Nancy Preyor-Johnson, Heritage Middle School, San Antonio
Sommer Reider, Chouteau High School, Pryor, Oklahoma
Margaret Robertson, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, Tennessee
Kayla Sartin, Pontotoc High School, Pontotoc, Mississippi
Kelly Savio, Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta, California
Karen Sergent, Heritage Academy, Columbus, Mississippi
Lori Vincent, Ola High School, McDonough, Georgia
Sarah Walker, The Ann Richards School For Young Women Leaders, Austin, Texas
Jill Woodley, Skyline High School, Longmont, Colorado
Michelle Young, Cabot High School, Cabot, Arkansas

Contact:

Dr. George Sylvie
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
300 W. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712-1073
Phone: 512-471-1783
E-mail: [email protected]