Student of the Week is back — and bigger than ever

Our Student of the Week initiative is returning for its second year — with some major changes.

Last year, debuted the Student of the Week initiative to celebrate deserving high school students. We ran three polls: one for Milwaukee-area students in the Journal Sentinel, one for Appleton-area students in The Post-Crescent and one for Green Bay-area students in the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

This year, Student of the Week is going statewide. Students from across the state can be nominated for the chance to be named Wisconsin's Student of the Week.

Not only have we changed who can win, we've also revised who can nominate students. Instead of taking nominations only from principals, we are opening the opportunity to anyone who works with high-school-aged students. This includes teachers, guidance counselors, other school staff, Boys and Girls Clubs volunteers and more. If you work with teens on a regular basis, you can nominate!

Here are more details:

Who is eligible to be a Student of the Week?

Our Student of the Week initiative honors high school students, whether they attend public or private school.

It's not just about academics. Maybe there's a student who is always kind, no matter the circumstances. Or one who has a unique hobby worth showcasing. Maybe our next Student of the Week will be the leader of a volunteer organization, or have started a club of their own. They could be an unsung hero of the theater department, managing the props or the lights. Maybe they have a work ethic unlike any other student at the school. There are any number of reasons a student deserves a little recognition.

How do I nominate a student?

Do you have the perfect fit for the first Student of the Week for the school year?

We are sending information about how to nominate students to local schools and youth organizations. If you have not received that email, please reach out to Debi Young, our statewide education editor, at to be added to our mailing list.

You will need to submit the correct spelling of the student's name, their grade, a current photo (a school yearbook photo is sufficient), and a brief description about why they should be our next Student of the Week.

Our first nomination period runs from 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23, through noon Thursday, Sept. 26. A new nomination period opens at 5 a.m. each Monday and runs through noon each Thursday.

How can I help choose the Student of the Week?

Each Monday, we'll introduce the finalists and provide an online poll at jsonline.com, postcrescent.com and greenbaypressgazette.com.

Voting for this school year's first Student of the Week begins at 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, and will close at noon Thursday, Oct. 3.

When and where will Wisconsin Student of the Week results be announced?

The Wisconsin Student of the Week will be announced both online and in print in each of the three sponsoring media outlets. Online announcements will come every Fridayand winners will be featured in print every Sunday.

Our first Wisconsin-wide Student of the Week winner will be announced online on Friday, Oct. 4, and in print on Sunday, Oct. 6.

A certificate will be mailed to each winner's school.

How can you get involved?

Look for the online poll each week and be sure to vote — and encourage your friends and family to do so, too.

Reach out to your school's principal, your favorite guidance counselor or leader of an organization that serves youth and ask them to submit nominations. We will be happy to send them the link, if they haven't received it already. This will ensure your school is represented.

Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America by visiting postcrescent.com/RFA .