The two-part workshop began in February when students met virtually with Simone Sellstrom, JCC communications assistant professor, and Lisa Roberts, Chautauqua Health Network school and youth program coordinator, to learn journalism basics. They were also given a writing assignment to complete for their visit to JCC’s Jamestown Campus on March 27.

During the campus event, students attended workshops in writing with Jennifer Reeher, JCC English assistant professor, and television production with Ed Tomassini, a Jamestown media professional. They also learned from a panel of national and local professionals with backgrounds in health, science, and journalism, including Roberts, Sellstrom, Greg Bacon, Dunkirk Observer and Jamestown Post-Journal reporter; Brianne Celeski, Life Science Connect multimedia producer; Justin Gould, Chautauqua County Government media information officer; Sara Holthouse, Jamestown Post-Journal reporter; Scott MacDowell, Lilly Broadcasting Corporation news director; Cynthia McKane, JCC assistant professor and reference librarian; Sherri Rater, Chautauqua County Health Department administrative and communications coordinator; and Christine Schuyler, JCC Healthcare Initiatives program director.

“Thanks to interactive sessions, expert insights, and practical exercises, the students learned the art of translating complex scientific concepts into compelling stories,” said Jade Barber, JCC’s High School partnerships director. “They also tackled ethical considerations in reporting and explored the many media platforms available to them to share accurate information with the public.”

Student and professional awards named after noted Chautauqua County journalists were given at the conclusion of the campus event.

Students learned from a panel of national and local professionals with backgrounds in health, science, and journalism.

Simeon Lewis of Southwestern earned the Samuel Hopkins Adams Excellence in Journalism Award for writing a story on health risks for new college students and available resources on campus. The article was designed to appeal to students on social media, where they seek instant, practical tips to navigate college life.

Student work was reviewed and juried by JCC faculty.

The Louis Charles Adler Commitment to Journalistic Excellence Award was presented in honor of Keith Sheldon, the late managing editor of the Dunkirk Observer newspaper.

The Samuel Hopkins Adams award honors the Dunkirk native who was known for exposing public health injustice through thorough investigative journalism. In a series of 11 articles printed in Collier’s magazine, Adams reported that some patent medicines were damaging the health of people using them. The series, called “The Great American Fraud,” led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

The Louis Charles Adler award honors the Jamestown native and radio journalist who served as a longtime morning news anchor for WCBS in New York and is credited with popularizing the “talk news radio” format. Before his death in 2017, Adler was also the director of Quinnipiac University’s Ed McMahon Mass Communication Center.

About the Chautauqua Healthy Youth and Schools Program

Established in 2022, the Chautauqua Healthy Youth and Schools Program (CHYSP) supports activities, policies and administrative regulations that increase opportunities for school-associated physical activity; encourages school environments that promote health, wellness, nutrition and healthy eating for students; and places additional emphasis on generating young people’s awareness and understanding of the health care system in the Chautauqua Region. All 18 Chautauqua County school districts participate in the program, which is supported by the New York State Department of Health.