Pre-convention workshops

Thursday, April 20
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Start your convention experience early with a pre-convention workshop on Thursday, April 20.

These half-day and full-day workshops offer in-depth instruction in a specific track.

Registration is online through convention registration. Additional fees and advance registration is required. The last day to register is April 7 or when workshops reach capacity.

Leadership: Building a successful staff culture  |  $40
Law of the student press  |  $25
How to be a spokesperson for student press freedom   |  Free
Writers’ workshop  |  $40
Broadcast and video boot camp  |  $40
Advanced broadcast and video boot camp   |    $40
Online and social media boot camp  |  $40
Digital photography workshop  |  $40
Redesign seminar  |  $40
Photoshop workflow  |  $25
Advanced InDesign  |  $25
SNO Sites workshop   |   25

Leadership: Building a successful staff culture  |  $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 70.

Your publication is up and running. Now it’s time to refine your leadership skills and put into practice the best methods for growing staffers, mediating conflict, and creating a culture of excellence. 

In this workshop led by Annie Gorenstein Falkenberg, CJE, adviser at Longmont (Colorado) High School, and Carrie Faust, MJE, adviser at Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, Colorado, participants will explore leadership styles and strategies, feedback protocols, motivating staffers, and managing workflow.

You will leave this class with the tools you need to create communication pathways, an understanding of who you are as a leader and how that interacts with others’ styles, and strategies to grow your staff with positive and productive feedback.

Law of the student press  |  $25
8:30 a.m. to noon. Limit 40.

This workshop covers an overview of censorship, libel, invasion of privacy, copyright, access to records and meetings and reporter’s privilege presented by Student Press Law Center’s resident legal experts.

How to be a spokesperson for student press freedom   |  Free
1-5 p.m. Limit 40.

Sixteen states across the country have passed New Voices laws to restore and protect student press freedom — your critical voice can help your state become the 17th. Join the Student Press Law Center for a high-level strategy session as we develop goals and plans to help your state cross the New Voices finish line. Come learn the fundamentals of organizing, communications and advocacy, and discover how you can change the legal landscape for student media for the future.

Writers’ workshop  |  $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.

If you’re looking for ways to sharpen and brighten your writing so others will clamor to read it, this interactive workshop is for you. 

This seminar led by Barbara Tholen, MJE, adviser at Lawrence (Kansas) High School, will entertain and inspire as we analyze excellent writing and apply the pros’ techniques to your work. 

Whether you need to write a catchy headline or a 2,000-word feature, you’ll learn to improve every aspect of your writing as we discuss leads, voice, narrative style and literary devices to tighten and strengthen your writing. 

Broadcast and video boot camp  |  $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.

In this hands-on workshop, beginning and intermediate students will learn the fundamentals of creating an effective news package from the ground up. 

This includes videography, sound recording, editing and story structure. Working in small teams, participants will spend the morning developing their videography skills and planning a story, and the afternoon shooting and editing that story. 

Participants must bring their own video cameras, tripods, microphones and laptops with editing software. Please test and become familiar with your equipment before attending the session, as the presenters may not be familiar with your specific hardware/software. 

Advanced broadcast and video boot camp   |    $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40

For students and advisers with experience creating broadcast news packages. Led by Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting instructors Brandon Goodwin and Dan Davis, this session will cover advanced tips and tricks, including how to find unique stories and angles, getting out of a writing rut (how to stay fresh), and ideas for dynamic videography and sound. 

Students will put their new knowledge to use by producing a short package during the session. 

Participants must provide and know how to use their own video cameras, tripods, microphones and laptops with editing software.  

Online and social media boot camp  |  $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.

Are you overwhelmed with the thought of managing a website, a social media presence, multimedia posts, and even live coverage online?

This workshop, led by Chris Waugaman, MJE, will cover key online storytelling elements using some of the more popular social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. In addition, your team will work on an audio and video project for your website. Your team will leave with a plan for your online coverage, and also have a chance to have their site critiqued. Basic WordPress instruction will also be included.

Participants may want to have login and password data available to use from their own site. All participants must bring either a laptop or tablet device.  

Digital photography workshop  |  $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 70.

Designed for photographers who have at least one year’s experience shooting for their publications, this intensive workshop will cover composition, lighting, cropping and camera technique. 

In this workshop, led by Mike Simons, Corning-Painted Post High School, New York, and Clint Smith, Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas, participants will receive instruction and be given a photo assignment.

Following the photo shoot, the instructors will critique students’ work and offer editing tips and techniques. 

Participants must bring a digital camera, and they are encouraged to bring a laptop computer with the photo-editing program (Photoshop, Lightroom) they will use. 

An off-site permission form is required for each student attending this workshop.

Redesign seminar  |  $40
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.

During this intensive, hands-on, one-day design seminar, newspaper, newsmagazine and yearbook students will actually redesign elements of their publications.

Led by Pete LeBlanc, CJE, of Antelope (California) High School, students will study advanced packaging techniques, including modular design, typography, marriage of elements, negative space and photo packaging. 

Students need to bring some of their favorite magazines. Students also are required to bring the most current version of their publication and to have a laptop computer with a working version of InDesign.

 

Photoshop workflow  |  $25
8:30 a.m. to noon. Limit 40.

Taught by Mark Murray, Santa Fe, New Mexico, participants will learn to use Adobe Photoshop. This workshop will emphasize a basic workflow for preparing photographs for publication. 

Some laptops will be available; however, participants may bring their own laptops with Adobe Photoshop CS6 or later installed. Two students may share one laptop. 

This session is open to both students and advisers.

Advanced InDesign  |  $25
1-5 p.m. Limit 40.

Take your design skills to the next level with this seminar that will show you how to use the power of InDesign to streamline your publication production. 

Bradley Wilson, MJE, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas, will cover libraries, styles and other InDesign tricks. 

Some laptops will be available for participants; however, if you bring your own laptop please have Adobe InDesign CS6 or later installed. Two students may share one laptop. 

SNO Sites workshop   |   25
8:30 a.m. to noon. Limit 45.

Join SNO Sites trainers Kyle Phillips, CJE, and Andrea Bell for an intensive morning workshop for students and advisers designed to help you learn and immediately put into practice methods to improve the design and functionality of your SNO website. 

The workshop starts with a whole group instruction session. From there, participants will branch off into work time with five optional mini sessions covering mobile design, site monetization and more. We know each program is a little different, which is why we’ve designed a flexible workshop to fit your needs. Attend one or two mini sessions, attend all five or skip the mini sessions and use the work time to dig in with your staff and revamp your site. 

Regardless of what you choose, Kyle and Andrea will be there to meet you at your level and guide you to where you want to go, giving you the time and space to ask questions and talk shop with your journalistic peers. 

This session is limited to 15 total programs with three attendees per school. At least one participant from each school group should bring a laptop.