Inlet Grove Community High School’s Journalism Academy Takes Top Award at the Annual Palm Beach Post Excellence in High School Journalism Awards Ceremony
Article By: Tracy Tallman
On April 24, Inlet Grove Community High School’s Journalism Academy was selected as the best high school publication in Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties by The Palm Beach Post.
Forecast Magazine, the academy’s news publication, was chosen for its colorful features, informative news articles and creative headlines. This is the first award for the magazine, which was first published in 2008. “To have our very first issue win such a prestigious award is unbelievable,” says Journalism Academy instructor Tracy Tallman, who also received second place in the outstanding adviser category. “I am so proud of my students for what they’ve achieved in their first year.”
Many of Inlet Grove’s Journalism Academy students also write for outside publications. Recent graduate Crystal Bullard will be interning with The Palm Beach Post this summer, and was also awarded a $4,000 scholarship by the newspaper. Students Yvone Ao and Teawanna Teal are currently writing for the Sun-Sentinel’s teen publication, Teen Link, and many other students have been published in Today’s Teen newspaper. Student Stewart Scott won fourth place in the newspaper’s short story contest.
The students aren’t the only ones standing out in this academy, however. On May 30, instructor Tracy Tallman was recognized at Inlet Grove’s annual My Teacher My Hero awards gala. The instructor was nominated by one of her students, and won first place in the “Champion of Reading” category.
The Journalism Academy at Inlet Grove is designed to enable students to learn the art and craft of reporting, writing, and presenting the news. Students focus on the philosophy of strong ethical journalism, the roles for a publication, organizational and teamwork skills, and finally, the structural as well as business aspects of Forecast Magazine. The challenging curriculum features an intensive, fundamental experience in creative and investigative writing, as well as public relations and photography.
