Flushing English, Journalism Teacher Receives $25K Prize

QUEENS — A Flushing high school teacher received a $25,000 award after helping his students pursue their journalistic endeavors.

Brian Sweeney, an English and journalism teacher at Townsend Harris High School, was awarded the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence for his work in directing a writing center and supervising the school newspaper.

Sweeney also spearheaded the school's reading initiatives and research program for high school seniors.

“Teaching means everything to me, and at the end of the day, it’s also just a lot of fun," said Sweeney. "I have so much fun working with some of the most courageous and passionate students in America and being recognized for that in this way is the honor of a lifetime.”

Besides receiving the $25,000 cash prize, Townsend Harris High School will receive a $10,000 grant for arts education initiatives, which will go toward funding a student-run literary press that Sweeney has been working on with two teachers.

Over 1,3oo submissions from students, parents, principals, and teachers were received for the award, the most in its history. Thirty-five semifinalists were selected from the nominees and they were required to complete an application, participate in an interview process that included an interview with their principal, and submit supplementary material.