THE PARTNERSHIP
Known officially as the Scripps Howard Citywide High School Newspaper Program, the Teen Appeal was made possible by the cooperation of four entities.
Scripps Howard Foundation
Philanthropic organization supporting journalism education in cities served by E. W. Scripps Company newspapers
As the primary sponsor, the renown Scripps Howard Foundation provided well over a million dollars in funding for the operation of the Teen Appeal from 1997 to 2015. The Foundation also provided several college scholarships of $1000 per year (renewable for three additional years) for students majoring or minoring in journalism.
The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Newspaper published by the E. W. Scripps Company
The Commercial Appeal provided free publication and distribution of the Teen Appeal to all Memphis high schools. Editorial Staff members provided instruction in the summer training camps and taught Teen Appeal staff new media skills, assisted with the technical production aspects, and mentored former staff members in their college program.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Administration for Memphis-area public schools
The support of the Memphis-Shelby County School System was essential to connect students to the Teen Appeal program, as they helped with recruiting students and pre-publication review. The high school administration also helped support the First Amendment rights of students as they reported - sometimes critically - on life at their high schools.
University of Memphis
Department of Journalism
The Department of Journalism at the University of Memphis hosted the daily work of the Teen Appeal and its annual week-long training camp, bringing high school students to the campus to prepare them for future college life, whatever their career plans. Thanks to the Scripps Howard Foundation's support, a full-time coordinator was hired to oversee the production of the Teen Appeal and its coaching and mentoring activities. The Department also championed the Teen Appeal by seeking and managing the grants for the program.
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Together, these four partners turned the Teen Appeal from Professor Elinor Grusin's dream into a professional newspaper with the motto "Giving Truth to Memphis Youth." It was the enthusiasm of the students who responded to their call that gave the Teen Appeal its spirit, as thousands of students each year applied to work on the paper. Each year, hundreds of Memphis teens would become Teen Appeal staff members, learning about the practices and ethics of the journalism profession, media literacy, design skills, and much more.
