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Northland College partners with The ECHO

March 17, 2010

ASHLAND,Wis. – Northland College has announced a new partnership with The ECHO, a northern Wisconsin-based newspaper, to sponsor a writing competition open to all Wisconsin high school students. The competition provides an opportunity for students interested in history to contribute to the study of Wisconsin’s rich cultural heritage.

Open to high school students across Wisconsin, the competition seeks articles that explore one or more areas of the state’s history. Areas of study may include communities, families, schools or any other topic that is of historical significance.

A committee composed of members of The ECHO staff and Dr. Kevin Schanning, associate professor of sociology at Northland, will evaluate submissions and select outstanding articles for inclusion in future editions of the newspaper. High school students whose articles are selected for inclusion will gain statewide exposure and will receive one credit from Northland College in recognition of their accomplishment.

Schanning feels the project has unlimited potential. “The partnership will not only spotlight local and state history, but also bring an acute awareness to the environmental issues Northland has always promoted,” he said.

“I am anxious to read the journalistic efforts of high school students in the next issue of The ECHO,” Schanning said. “I cannot think of a better way for schools and communities to enrich their knowledge about our collective past, which will help readers make better decisions about our future. This is a great chapter in the history of Northland and Wisconsin.”

In addition to sponsoring the writing competition, Northland College will support the distribution of future editions of The ECHO to each of Wisconsin’s public and private schools, as well as public libraries throughout the state.

Based in Mellen, Wisconsin, The ECHO has received praise for its narrative presentation of the region’s unique history. B. Robert Tabachnick, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has called The ECHO an “invaluable resource that enlivens the study of state history.”

“I am extremely excited and deeply gratified to partner with Northland College to present The ECHO to an audience of high school students who will have the rare chance to see their stories about their heritage appear in print to a captive audience,” said ECHO publisher Jeff Peters.

“Bringing history into the light of day is an exciting niche for The ECHO and Northland College, which enjoys a rich history itself.  I firmly believe high school students across the state will embrace my passion of sharing our collective histories,” Peters said.

Michael Masterson, a Northland College Trustee, said, “As The ECHO becomes more of a teaching tool in high school classrooms across the state, this partnership between Northland and The ECHO will grow exponentially. All the residents of Wisconsin share a common bond - history.”