Esther Wojcicki
Esther Denise "Woj" Hochman Wojcicki is an American journalist, educator, and vice chair of the Creative Commons board of directors.
Esther Wojcicki’s commitment to transforming education serves the greater purpose of developing connected and caring human beings. As this moonshot movement takes hold, we can expect to see a new generation of citizens who treat each other with trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness.
In recent months, Esther has received several awards for her contributions to education. In January, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Journalism Education Association of America, an award given to “retirees for lifetime dedication to journalism education in the form of advising or other contributions to the profession.”[1] On why Wojcicki was honored, for adviser at Palo Alto Ellen Austin said
Esther’s approach has always been that journalism students should be the center of everything happening, and that they should make the decisions about every aspect of their publications. Esther encouraged her students — and by extension us, as her colleagues — to go after great stories and not be afraid to ask questions.[2]
Esther was also honored in March by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) at Columbia University with their Platinum Key Award. The centennial award is given to individuals who have had a significant and lasting impact on journalism education. Esther has been honored by the CSPA before; she is a recipient of both the CSPA Gold Key and the CSPA Charles R. O’Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching.[3]
[1] https://jea.org/awards/lifetime-achievement
[2] https://jea.org/news/jea-names-8-lifetime-achievement-award-winners/
[3] https://precollege.sps.columbia.edu/news/cspa-centennial-awards-platinum-key
Find out more about the MY HERO Youth Reporter Journalism and Filmmaking Workbook with a preface from Esther Wojiski in these chapter previews (click on the image below). This workbook has been designed by MY HERO for those who want to create a short film for The MY HERO International Film Festival.
Click on the image below to view Woj!, a short documentary about Esther Wojcicki and her unique approach to educating students. This short doc features an interview with Esther at Palo Alto High School, where she has created an award winning journalism program. WOJ is the nickname her students have lovingly bestowed upon her.
Esther Wojcicki shares her vision for a Moonshot Movement in Education in this short documentary created by the MY HERO Project!
Click on the images below to learn about Wojcicki's books that are inspiring parents and educators around the world!
“As a teacher, Esther Wojcicki was brave enough to challenge conventional teaching, understanding that students need to be active participants in their own learning." —Laurene Powell Jobs, former CEO of Apple
These stories about Esther Wojcicki reveal her unique approach to inspiring students to take charge of their own learning.
Esther Wojcicki is a pioneer in education who has spent 30 years building an outstanding high school journalism program at Palo Alto High School.
The MY HERO Project awarded Esther Wojcicki with the 2016 Global Educator Award for her visionary teaching methods and innovative educational philosophy.
View these excerpts from an interview with Esther Wojcicki as she covers specific topics in education.
Click the images below to explore the sites for Esther Wojcicki's Global Moonshots in Education Movement.
MY HERO is grateful to Esther for all of her support including donating the Student Reporter Award at our Film Festival and her contributions to the Student Reporter Project.
Organizer created on 10/25/2017 6:29:13 PM by Vincent
Last edited 5/15/2025 5:33:53 AM by Abigail Richardson
