
The Pennsylvania School Press Association (PSPA) honors Kate Plows as the 2017 Pennsylvania Journalism Teacher of the Year. Plows, art and journalism teacher and adviser of The Blackfriar Chronicle, and the digital publication, The Friar’s Lantern at Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pa., will receive the PSPA Journalism Teacher of the Year Award at the Spring PSPA Conference held at Pennsylvania State University at University Park in March of 2018.
Plows, who finished her fifth year of advising this spring, built a nationally recognized journalism program in just three years. Student editors of The Blackfriar Chronicle were named PA Student Journalists of the Year in 2016 and 2017, with national recognition from the Journalism Education Association (JEA) for the Student Journalism Impact Award in 2016. The staff has won numerous state and national individual honors, while the publication was awarded the prestigious 2017 Silver Crown Award by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association of Columbia University.
Plows, who finished her fifth year of advising this spring, built a nationally recognized journalism program in just three years. Student editors of The Blackfriar Chronicle were named PA Student Journalists of the Year in 2016 and 2017, with national recognition from the Journalism Education Association (JEA) for the Student Journalism Impact Award in 2016. The staff has won numerous state and national individual honors, while the publication was awarded the prestigious 2017 Silver Crown Award by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association of Columbia University.
JEA Mentor Kathleen D. Zwiebel, CJE said, “A gifted artist, teacher and adviser. An inspirational leader for scholastic journalists. An honorable young woman with a passion for journalism, the writing craft and the creative joy of art. This is Kate Plows.”
PSPA past president and JEA Mentor Jane Blystone, MJE said, “As a newer adviser and someone who is new to the PSPA executive board, Kate has stepped up to the plate and invested herself in journalism as much as her art.”
“She brings a passion to journalism that can’t help but inspire you to interview that extra source to balance the story, attack another angle, or push the late hour because it’s deadline night,” previous Blackfriar Chronicle Editor-in-Chief and 2016 PSPA Student Journalist of the Year Justice Bennett said. “She is always available to help talk through a story or work on the structure.”
PSPA President Paul Fantaski said, “The selection process was no easy task this year. Each nominee showed such merit.”
To nominate advisers for the 2018 PSPA Journalism Teacher of the Year, submit applications for any active member of the organization by June 15, 2018. Nominations can be submitted by any teacher, administrator, student, or media professional.
PSPA past president and JEA Mentor Jane Blystone, MJE said, “As a newer adviser and someone who is new to the PSPA executive board, Kate has stepped up to the plate and invested herself in journalism as much as her art.”
“She brings a passion to journalism that can’t help but inspire you to interview that extra source to balance the story, attack another angle, or push the late hour because it’s deadline night,” previous Blackfriar Chronicle Editor-in-Chief and 2016 PSPA Student Journalist of the Year Justice Bennett said. “She is always available to help talk through a story or work on the structure.”
PSPA President Paul Fantaski said, “The selection process was no easy task this year. Each nominee showed such merit.”
To nominate advisers for the 2018 PSPA Journalism Teacher of the Year, submit applications for any active member of the organization by June 15, 2018. Nominations can be submitted by any teacher, administrator, student, or media professional.