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“Expression—it all comes from the athletes. Especially high school athletes. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and they really do put their hearts and souls into everything they do at the high school level.”
—Jerold LeBlanc, Wetaskiwin Times, winner of the EdNews Award in photography, weekly newspaper category
Every day, the influence of public education on students, communities and society is illuminated through the efforts of journalists across Alberta. And each year, the Alberta Teachers’ Association recognizes those efforts through its Education News Writers and Photographers Awards (EdNews Awards).
EdNews Winners 2011
Journalism, daily newspaper category: Elise Stolte, Edmonton Journal
Journalism, weekly newspaper category: Kevin Maimann, Edmonton Examiner
Photography, daily newspaper category: Larry Wong, Edmonton Journal
Photography, weekly newspaper category: Jerold LeBlanc, Wetaskiwin Times
Elise Stolte, Edmonton Journal
Stolte produced a spellbinding series of articles on First Nations education that highlighted the plights and hopes of students, teachers and communities on Alberta reserves. Her work impressed the judges and Ed Butler, president of Edmonton Public Teachers Local No. 37, who nominated Stolte for the award.
“Ed gave me a call when he nominated me,” said Stolte. “I was really grateful for that. Grateful for the recognition, but also that the story meant something to people. When you put a lot of effort into a series of stories like that you really hope it doesn’t fall on deaf ears.”
One EdNews Award judge commented that Stolte’s series “shows exceptional insight into the issues, depth and breadth of research in covering all angles—human and political.”
Kevin Maimann, Edmonton Examiner
Last year, Maimann won the EdNews Award for photography in the weekly newspaper category. This year, his articles on topics ranging from school closures to a school community helping a mother deal with the death of her two children earned him an award in the journalism category. The judges were won over by Maimann’s journalistic skill and his ability to incorporate human interest into his stories.
“I think it is important to highlight people who are making such a huge, positive impact in schools rather than simply focusing on whether schools are not getting money, or whether this or that isn’t happening,” said Maimann. “Great things that are always happening, and I think it’s just as important to focus on those things.”
Larry Wong, Edmonton Journal
Like Maimann, Wong searches for the human interest angle in his work. He succeeded in doing that with his photo of Prime Minister Stephen Harper reading to a Grade 2 student, though he recalls that he didn’t have much time to get the award-winning shot. “After five minutes, everyone was escorted out. So we really didn’t have a chance to see the prime minister interact with the kids. … It would’ve been nice to stay and capture that,” said Wong.
Jerold LeBlanc, Wetaskiwin Times
Photographs like LeBlanc’s make the benefits of school sports crystal clear. The development of character, discipline and determination are written all over the face of the high school wrestler in LeBlanc’s winning photo. The shot was given high marks for composition and technical aspects like focus and lighting. It also ranked high for its effect, something for which LeBlanc freely gave credit to the athletes.
“Expression—it all comes from the athletes,” LeBlanc said. “Especially high school athletes. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and they really do put their hearts and souls into everything they do at the high school level.”
Dedication and passion demonstrated by students, teachers and school communities make for great news. The dedication and passion demonstrated by the journalists and photographers employed by Alberta’s newspapers make for an enlightened public. And for that, the Alberta Teachers’ Association is thankful.
Submissions of winners posted on the ATA website (www.teachers.ab.ca) under EdNews Award winning entries.
