The Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College has honored four recipients of the 2016 S’Park Media Mentor Award. The S’Park Award recognizes high school teachers and advisors who are committed to igniting a passion for media in their students.
“The S’Park Media Mentors visit is always one of my favorite events. We share with these outstanding high school teachers and advisors a passion for media and for lighting that passion in young people who will go on to use communications concepts and tools to make a positive difference in society,” said Diane Gayeski, dean of the Park School. “Each year I’m amazed to hear the sophistication of the work they are doing with high school students and to create relationships that result in great students being guided to apply to Ithaca College.”
This year’s recipients are:
- Michael Britt, teacher of film and television production at the Central Educational Center in Newnan, Ga. At the center, Britt places students in internships at local television stations, giving them hands-on media experience. Before teaching, Britt had a successful 30-year career in film and television. He has received multiple Emmy nominations and won awards such as the Society of Professional Journalists Award and the Telly Award.
- Sarah-Anne Lanman, teacher of journalism, photography and other subjects at Munster High School in Munster, Ind. Lanman is also the advisor for “Paragon,” Munster High School’s yearbook, and the school’s newspaper, “The Crier.” Under her council, students working on both publications have won three National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Awards, as well as multiple Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crowns. Individually, students have won Gold Keys from the Quill and Scroll Journalism Honors Society, as well as Harvey awards from the Indiana High School Press Association.
- Bruce Miller, teacher of digital media at Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro, N.J. Miller also teaches sound design at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He writes and regularly updates the material he teaches in order to stay current with changes in digital media tools. Miller has over three decades of experience as a music producer and recording/mixing engineer. He has worked with a wide range of artists, including Miles Davis, Dave Matthews and the White Stripes.
- Joseph Schieve, business teacher at Johnson City Senior High School in Johnson City, N.Y. Schieve teaches courses such as business communications and sports marketing. He holds an annual film contest for students at the school, and has had many teams of students successfully participate in the Greater Binghamton Scholastic Challenge, a business competition. Schieve also dedicates his free time by teaching student athletes to produce and distribute highlight films.
The winners were invited to an award dinner and reception at the college. While on campus, they met the advisors and managers of the Park School’s own nationally acclaimed student media outlets and learned about the Park Scholar Program, which provides full-cost-of-attendance scholarships for communications students.
Student-operated media programs in the Roy H. Park School of Communications include a weekly newspaper, “The Ithacan”; radio stations WICB-FM and VIC Radio; television station ICTV; Park Productions, a media production unit; and Park Design House, a graphic design unit.