Southeast Kansas Sports Exchange
In Fall 2025, Pittsburg State University’s Department of Communication launched the Southeast Kansas Sports Exchange, drawing together high school students, educators, and community publications from across the region in a collaboration to build students’ reporting skills and bolster news coverage.
The first phase of the program includes partnerships with six high schools and numerous publications in the area along with Pitt State’s communication department. Journalism and yearbook students at partner high schools receive training from PSU multimedia journalism professor Dr. Ken Ward in shooting photos of football games for publication. Those high school students take photos of select home varsity football games at their schools and upload the photos to a shared Google Drive space. Partnering publication covering the visiting team will download and, if suitable for their needs, publish the photos in game coverage in print or online. There is no cost to any partners, and everyone involved will receive training and support from the Pitt State communication department’s multimedia journalism professors.
The SEK Sports Exchange collaboration is led by PSU multimedia journalism professor Dr. Ken Ward. Please contact him at kjward@pittstate.edu with any questions about the program.
Ward hopes to expand the program after the initial Fall 2025 pilot football season. After revising the program based on feedback from pilot partners, a second phase is planned to begin with the 2025-26 basketball season. That second phase would increase the number of partner high schools and publications to roughly 15 each and would run for the duration of the 2025-26 basketball season.
Fall 2025 Partners
| High Schools | Publications |
|---|---|
| Chanute High School | Butler County Times-Gazette |
| Neodesha High School | |
| Prairie View High School | |
| Pittsburg High School | |
| Iola High School | |
| Humboldt High School |
Partner Resources
The SEK Sports Exchange Google Drive includes resources for partner high schools and publications, including instructions for shooting events and downloading and using photos. It is also the home of all content produced through the exchange for publication. Click here to access the SEK Sports Exchange Google Drive.