Winners of NYSUT's Journalism Competition were honored at an awards luncheon during the union's third annual Journalism Conference in June.
Three locals won top honors. The Valley Central Teachers' Association won The Ted Bleecker Award for its newsletter, VC Echoes. The award is named after the late founder of New York Teacher, the precursor to NYSUT United, and recognizes overall excellence, or "The Best of the Best," as the award is also known.
Two locals shared the Solidarity Award: the Beacon Teachers Association, for its newsletter, Between Assignments, and the Arlington Teachers' Association, for its newsletter, The Educator.
"Everyone in this room is a winner; everyone deserves a thank you and a congratulations. Because, while we work very hard here at headquarters to set the record straight, you are the communicators on the ground," NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira told the winners.
The competition is open to retiree chapters and in-service locals, with entries judged by a panel of professional journalists. This year, 52 locals were winners, with 139 awards in nine categories. Of those awards, 103 were won by in-service locals and 36 by retiree chapters.
The third annual conference featured workshops on writing, photography, design and social media.
The winners also were recognized at NYSUT's 2012 Representative Assembly.