High School Journalism Academy

 

 

Are you a high school student who’s curious about your community? Do you have a story to tell, either with words, pictures, sound or video?

Why not share it with us and join a community of people who like to ask questions, who want to understand the people and events shaping our communities and our world. And most of all, who like to tell a good story.

The Carleton University Journalism program is pleased to host the annual High School Journalism Awards, where we celebrate creative work in many different forms, including reporting, creative writing, visual storytelling and more.

Applicants are invited to a hands-on workshop, where we help you develop some of the skills that will take your reporting and storytelling to the next level. And we host an awards event, where the winners in each category will receive a certificate and prizes.

Some Past Winners

Here are some of the winning pieces from past awards ceremonies. (Names have been redacted for privacy.)

Category: Best Feature on Local Issue
Title: Hampton Park: An Urban Forest Under Threat
Description: A superb story on an important topic, with lots of detail and good sourcing. In the notes with the entry, the writer describes the sense of discovery in telling this story about a local institution in the neighbourhood, Hampton Park. The feature also included some important visual content, with YouTube videos from the Friends of Hampton Park, an important local source for the story.

Category: Best Visual Storytelling
Title: Concerto in A Major Stress
A well reported piece about music students preparing for performances, and how they deal with the stress. A terrific combination of reporting and visuals put together in a compelling package.

Category: Best feature reporting on school community
Title: Rising above the net
In a classic tale worthy of Hollywood, this feature story documents the journey of a junior boy’s volleyball team from a low-ranked team to city champions. Through interviews with players and their coach, the piece explores themes of resilience, teamwork, leadership, and school pride. It offers an in-depth look at how a single team’s success became a powerful reflection of the spirit and strength of the broader school community.

Category: Best Feature on Local Issue
Title: Back at the Box Office
This vivid feature is about local, independent cinemas in Ottawa. The piece includes some very good sourcing and use of quotes – the cornerstone of good journalism, which brings us human experience and voices. It has a strong lead and is packed with useful information.

Maybe you’ll be one of the next winners!

Please see below for entry requirement details and information on when you can submit your entries.

Entry Requirements

Students will be invited to submit work to one of the following categories. (Please note that there is a limit of two authors per piece of submitted work.)

Best Feature Writing
This category honours features for high quality reporting, with depth of research, analysis, insight and new understanding of a single story or subject. Qualifying entries may also include profiles. Depth and quality of the journalism and writing will be considered, as well as the relevance and impact of a subject or event being clearly outlined to audiences through analysis, storytelling, and overall presentation. (Note that while a news story ordinarily employs a more direct, neutral and strictly fact-based approach, features tend to be more engaging and descriptive, often employing a more narrative-driven or thematic structure and vivid imagery.)

Best Reporting on a Local Issue
This category honours news stories that cover a local story or subject with depth and insight, outlining its value and connection to the local community. Qualifying entries may also include profiles. (An issue will be considered “local” if the sources and impact are within the City of Ottawa boundary.)

Best Reporting on School Community
This category honours news stories about a subject, issue or theme related to your school community with depth and insight, outlining its value and connection to the school and its network and community. Qualifying entries may also include profiles.

Best Visual Storytelling
This category honours storytelling through video, photography, graphics, data visualization, and/or other graphic and visual aids. Quality and impact of visuals and their effectiveness in expressing a story or subject’s depth and detail will be considered.

Best in Creative Writing: Poetry
This category honours excellence in creative writing in poetry form.

Best in Creative Writing: Other
This category honours excellence in creative writing using short fiction, personal essays or other non-poetry forms.

Entries for the 2027 awards will be open during two periods: Jan. 11 to 22, 2027, and April 12 to 23, 2027.