Announcing the Blue and Gold Awards

Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists recognized six scholastic media staffs with the inaugural Blue and Gold Awards launched this year in conjunction with the organization’s 90th anniversary. These awards honor high school journalism programs that excelled in the International Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest. Top publishing teams will also be recognized in the upcoming Yearbook Excellence Contest.

The Blue and Gold Awards are presented to top staffs based on individual student performance in the following categories: Comprehensive Writing, Comprehensive Visuals and Staff Excellence. The winning staffs are:

Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, received the Staff Excellence Award for overall excellence in its publication. It is the highest Blue and Gold Award a staff can receive.

Three schools received the Comprehensive Writing Award: Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio; Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, California; and Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, for overall excellence in writing, including editorials, features and news. Health, science and agricultural writing was added as a category this year.

Four schools were presented the Comprehensive Visuals Award: Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas; McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas; Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas; and Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, were recognized for overall excellence in visuals, including graphic design, photography, infographics and photo illustrations.

With the founding of the Blue and Gold Awards, the Society continues supporting and recognizing schools for their journalistic endeavors, not just for individual achievements but for staffs as a whole.