For the past two school years, The Wave was recognized as a "Distinguished Site" by SNO Sites. In 2025 The Wave was one of only five schools in Florida and one of 73 in the entire nation. This legacy continued into the 2026 school year being one of seven in Florida and one of 84 across the country to earn the recognition of outstanding journalism.
Our goal is to continue to be a nationally recognized publication as a "SNO Distinguished Site" in the 2027 school year.
(Written by editors from The Wave)
From traditional newspaper writing, to podcasts, to video segments, our publication aims to amplify the voices of students. We not only cover school-related matters but also feature interesting people and stories from the greater SWFL area. Additionally, we discuss newsworthy events taking place in our county, state, and nation, all from the perspective of our generation.
The Wave staff studies the NSPA Model Code of Ethics for HS Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, and the ONA Social Newsgathering Ethics Code. The editors base their story decisions and policies on these standards.
(Written by editors from The Wave)
SNO Sites provides our journalism program with a foundation that extends far beyond simply publishing a school newspaper. Its curriculum and lessons cover writing and reporting, multimedia, ethics and the fundamental principles of journalism, giving students the opportunity to develop skills that can follow them well beyond high school.
(Written by editors from The Wave)
Although MIA is located in a tight-knit community on a destination island, many of the students that attend the school come from families with humble beginnings that work extremely hard to support one another.
We believe that every student at MIA deserves to experience the same opportunities as their peers and we rightfully attempt to provide them. Yet, there are roadblocks to funding them, as charter schools must fundraise to merely operate our buildings and support our budgets each year.
Grants such as these provide tremendous help in financially supporting students' passions, and connects us back to the true reason we are all invested in education.
The impact of this funding reaches the 30+ students who work on The Wave, the 275+ students that attend Marco Island Academy, and the local community. The Wave has reached more than 100,000 visitors in the past year, meaning that the work made possible through funding these platforms has the potential to inform tens of thousands of readers about the people, events, issues and accomplishments that shape our school.
(Written by editors from The Wave)
