Spring Highlights: Standout Student Journalism from Best of SNO

We recently passed 12,500 submissions to Best of SNO this school year! Of those we have published almost 1,700. Thanks for your continued enthusiasm for this program.

Below are a few of the pieces we’ve seen in the last couple months that have stood out to our reviewers:

Futureproof Ep. 1: Ann Davis Vaughan on AI, data centers, the Disneyland of Energy from the St. John’s School. AI has been a very popular topic this year, and this podcast brings in an expert for a strong audio interview. The producers also made sure to attribute the music and contributors in the outro, which our reviewers always appreciate.

Wrestlers reflect on their weight cut experiences from Lafayette High School. The videographer did a great job gaining access to practices, allowing for more dynamic and engaging shots than would have been possible during a meet. The b-roll is especially active and visually compelling.

Commendation: The Dynamic Duo Wiring Robotics Success from McKinley High School. Columns and editorials are often expected to be critical or propose solutions to problems. It’s refreshing to see a well-reported piece that instead offers thoughtful praise for the team behind this high school’s robotics program.

“Where the Wildflowers Grow” is all petals, no roots from Monta Vista High School. This is a great example of what we’re looking for in Best of SNO book reviews. The book was recently released, the writing avoids first- and second-person voice, and the reviewer includes many specific examples to support their critiques.

UMN student detained by ICE in January still in detention from the University of Minnesota. Events in the Twin Cities made headlines throughout the early months of 2026. The staff at The Minnesota Daily took the time and care to tell the story of a student on their campus who was detained and remains in custody.

Cutting to compete: wrestlers and weight management from Iowa City West High School. The excellent variety of sources in this story really stands out. With interviews from wrestlers on both the boys’ and girls’ teams, a coach, an alumna, and a registered dietitian, the reporting presents a complete picture of weight cutting.

Anne Battle has Alzheimer’s — And she wants you to know it from Los Altos High School. This is an exceptionally well-reported story on a sensitive topic that the staff handled thoughtfully. The final piece is incredibly moving for the reader.

Lockers: Locked up for good from Algonquin Regional High School. We don’t typically publish stories about events that haven’t happened yet, but this piece about a proposal to replace school lockers successfully reframes the topic as a historical look at how their use has evolved over time.

Reminder: Sites can submit to Best of SNO through the end of the day on May 29. We can’t wait to see the great pieces everyone publishes as the year comes to an end.