Trio of Prince George High School Media Programs Honored with VSBA Recognition
The Prince George County School Board recognized three content creation and media programs from Prince George High School and their instructors by naming them to the Virginia School Boards Association's (VSBA) 2026 Media Honor Roll, which celebrates their commitment to showcasing Prince George County Public Schools' programs and offerings through the district's platforms.
Each year, the VSBA Media Honor Roll recognizes media representatives, including student programs, for their essential role in supporting public education in their communities through storytelling and content creation.
During the Prince George County School Board's regular meeting on Monday, October 12, 2026, the high school's Social Media Marketing (Mr. Chris Powell, Instructor), Sports Marketing (Mr. Travis Carr, Instructor), and Photojournalism & Yearbook (Ms. Aline Geryes, Instructor) programs and their students were recognized by the board and the division's leadership, including Superintendent Dr. Wayne Lyle and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Abbie Martin.
About PGHS' Sports Marketing Program
Prince George High School's Sports Marketing program, part of the school's career and technical education (CTE) robust offerings and led by longtime educator Mr. Travis Carr, provides students with a practical understanding of the preparation, operation, and execution of game events, as well as coverage of high school teams and athletes.
Over the years, the program has effectively hosted school events, such as the "Royal Games," a school spirit competition with a variety of games and activities for students, and athletic signing days, coordinating all aspects of the event, including photography, backdrops, media coverage, and more.
In addition, the program hosts media-day photo shoots for the high school's sports teams and produces on-field content during the school year at athletic events. To connect to careers, students in the program have visited with the Washington Commanders and the Richmond Flying Squirrels to learn about sports and event management from experts in the field.
About PGHS' Social Media Marketing Program
Prince George High School's Social Media Marketing program is led by a longtime educator, Mr. Chris Powell, who gives students exposure to the evolving world of social media content creation. Each school year, students are tasked with finding stories across PGCPS that showcase programs, events, and experiences at Prince George High School and the division's other campuses. These stories become social media posts that are published to PGCPS' Facebook page to an audience of over 11,000 followers.
Alongside learning the principles of social media photography and copywriting, students also learn about social media use behavior and demographics, and how to understand trends, such as audience engagement and optimal times for posting content. Additionally, students collaborate with peers and division leadership to cover major division events, such as homecoming and graduation, while learning to produce compelling stories on tight deadlines to maximize audience interaction and reach.
Furthermore, students in the Social Media Marketing program have led the development of one of PGCPS' most successful social media series - Senior Spotlights. Over the last several years, students in the program have spent the second semester interviewing seniors about their lives and post-graduation plans to create social posts that are a key part of PGCPS' month-long graduation celebrations.
In recent years, the Social Media Marketing program's student-driven content has reached approximately 1 million Facebook accounts annually, supporting the division's growth in online storytelling since 2021.
About PGHS' Photojournalism & Peerage Yearbook Program
Prince George High School's award-winning photojournalism program, known as Peerage and led by accomplished instructor Ms. Aline Geryes, leads content development for the school's annual yearbook. Across the program's courses, students learn the ins and outs of physical publication production, including design and layout principles, photography, copy editing, and editorial management.
Throughout the year, students develop the year-end publication for sale to the school community and archiving in the school's library as a record of the school's events and moments, including taking photos at various events, writing content for sections of the book, and supporting other production needs to keep the publication on schedule for eventual printing.
The school's yearbook has been a regional and statewide standout, earning accolades in multiple years. The 2025 edition received the Virginia High School League's Superior rating, the league's highest honor, and earned Peerage a Trophy Class Award. Peerage also received the 2025 Charles E. Savedge Award for Sustained Excellence in Scholastic Journalism, one of only six schools in Virginia to receive it, and a first for Prince George High School. To earn this award, schools must earn at least five Trophy Class Awards for their publication within seven years.
“Prince George County is home to some of the best storytellers in Virginia, and they're right here inside Prince George High School,” PGCPS Public Information Officer Michael Campbell said. "Through their experiences in these classes, our students are receiving essential skills that will make them successful in future careers across a variety of fields, from marketing to sports management, to journalism, and beyond. Their teachers bring real-world principles into the classroom, so our students are ready for the demands of the workplace. It's wonderful to recognize these programs as being tremendous members of the media in our community.”
Later this year, VSBA will publish the Media Honor Roll in the VSBA Newsletter to recognize these programs and those honored across Virginia.
Visit the Virginia School Boards Association's website to learn more about the Media Honor Roll program and the organization.