Southeast Kansas Sports Exchange
In Fall 2025, Pittsburg State University’s Department of Communication will launch 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 will include partnerships with roughly five high schools and five publications in the area along with Pitt State’s communication department. Journalism and yearbook students at partner high schools will receive training from PSU multimedia journalism professor Dr. Ken Ward in shooting photos of football games for publication. Next, those high school students will take photos of each home varsity football game at their schools when the visiting team is also a partnering school and upload the photos to a shared Google Drive space. Then, the 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
At this time, prospective partner high schools and publications are being contacted. As partners agree to participate, they will be added to the following list:
| High Schools | Publications |
|---|---|
| Chanute High School | |
| Neodesha High School | |
| Prairie View 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.
Tentative Fall Planning Schedule
April 28–May 9: Ward secures all partner schools and publications
May 9: Deadline for securing partners
May 12–16: Ward sends final spring guidance
August 11–15: Ward reviews football schedules and set production schedule
August 18: School year begins
August 20–29: Training Zooms w/ schools and publications
September: Football season begins