WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five former and current Dade County,Fla., high school student journalists who helped stave off anattempt by district officials to crack down on student press rightswere named this year’s recipients of the Newseum’sCourage in Student Journalism Awards.
The students – Brady Ward and Mario Weber of Coral Gables SeniorHigh School, and Isabel Eisner, Joey Ruiz and Katie Townsend ofMiami Palmetto Senior High School – organized a rally of 200 students,teachers and community members to protest the board’s plans, arrangedfor local and national media coverage of their fight, wrote editorialsand articles that were published by other media and even persuadeda civil rights group to donate a highway billboard that alertedMiami drivers of the school board’s plans.
The board soon backed away from their proposal, which nevercame up for a vote.
In addition to winning a trip to Washington, D.C., where theyreceived their award in a ceremony at the FreedomForum, each of the students also received a check for $1,000and a plaque commemorating their award.