Chalkbeat wins four Indiana SPJ awards

Chalkbeat earned two first prizes among four total awards Friday from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Chalkbeat took both first and second place in two categories: education coverage and coverage of minority issues. Despite having a small newsroom of just three journalists, Chalkbeat competed in the category for large news organizations, beating out the state’s biggest print and online publications.

Chalkbeat’s winning entries were:

Education coverage

Key Learning Community aims to rekindle past glory (first place)
By Scott Elliott

Indiana superintendent hoping film will launch an education movement (second place)
By Hayleigh Colombo

Coverage of minority issues

Takeover schools criticized as too tough on discipline (first place)
By Shaina Cavazos and Scott Elliott

Washington Township first in Indiana to offer IB at all grades (second place)
By Shaina Cavazos