The Notebook, an online source for news about schools and education in Philadelphia, has won second prize in the community blogging category of the Education Writers Association National Education Reporting Awards. The winning entry was a collection of 10 blog posts by regular Notebook contributors and guest contributors. "We chose a variety of pieces that had a high level of reader engagement and page traffic," Web editor Erika Owens wrote. "One focus was posts about Corrective Reading and Math because reader comments prompted the coverage, readers contributed to the coverage through guest blogs, and after the dialogue on the Notebook site, a group testified" at school hearings. "It's exciting to receive this acknowledgment of our work and the many contributors who make our blog possible," Owens said. The Notebook site, a digital community version of an established print newspaper, has steadily increased its traffic and community engagement since it was established. The site, a Community Information Challenge Winner in the first round, also is funded by the William Penn Foundation.
