Preconvention workshops
Start your convention experience early with a preconvention workshop on Thursday, April 16. These half-day and full-day workshops, led by experienced advisers and journalism professionals from around the country, offer in-depth instruction in a specific journalism topic.
Additional fees and advance registration are required. Last day to sign-up is when online registration closes, or when the workshop reaches capacity, whichever comes first.
Spring 2026: Full-day workshops
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday
Minneapolis Convention Center
These full-day workshops will break for lunch on your own from 12-1 p.m.
Advising student media | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 101 H, Level 1
Advisers experience challenges at any stage of their career, and this workshop will provide a hands-on approach to getting past those feelings of overload, inexperience, stress, burnout or isolation in your position as a student media adviser. With a focus on solutions, the class will address common pain points in our profession and work together so everyone leaves with ideas, resources and tools. Participants will have a chance to form relationships and connect with others while getting individual and group guidance.
This workshop is open to any current media adviser.
Instructor: Sarah Nichols, MJE, Whitney High School, Rocklin, California
Broadcast and video storytelling | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 200 AB, Level 2
In this hands-on workshop, beginning and intermediate students will learn the fundamentals of creating an effective news package from the ground up. Led by an expert Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting instructor, this workshop includes training in 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.
Required materials: 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 software or hardware.
Instructor: Jan Sobbe, Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting
Digital photography | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 70.
Location: Room 101 FG, Level 1
Designed for photographers who have at least one year’s experience shooting for their publications, this intensive workshop will cover composition, camera controls and theory, lighting, cropping and workflow. Led by two expert photography instructors, participants will receive instruction and be given a photo story assignment, and go on a guided photo walk after lunch. Following the photo shoot, the instructors will critique students’ work and offer editing tips and techniques.
Required materials: A digital camera.
Recommended materials: Laptop with the photo-editing program (i.e. Photoshop, Lightroom) you will use.
Instructors: Mark Murray, Association of Texas Photography Instructors, Cedar Park; Bradley Wilson, MJE, Leander (Texas) High School
Editorial leadership | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 101 I, Level 1
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 full-day workshop, 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.
Recommended materials: Something to take notes with.
Instructor: Tracy Anderson, Ann Arbor Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Writing, reporting and interviewing | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 50.
Location: Room 101 B, Level 1
Whether you are a first-time storyteller, or a more experienced journalist looking to sharpen your skills, this hands-on, full-day workshop has something for you. Participants will learn techniques to strengthen their writing, improve their reporting and conduct more effective interviews. Through analyzing inspirational articles, engaging in interactive exercises and receiving real-time feedback, this course will guide students to that next level of writing. Discussion topics will include leads, captions, news, features, sports, columns and more. Come report, write and find your voice so you can return to school ready to write stronger, more impactful stories.
Required materials: Your preferred writing materials (i.e. laptop, notebook, pen/pencil).
Instructor: Sara-Beth Badalamente, CJE, Huron High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Yearbook design bootcamp | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 200 CD, Level 2
During this intensive, hands-on seminar, students will learn and practice concepts for yearbook design. Suitable for yearbook staff members and their advisers, the workshop will cover typography, space, color, photo packaging and application of current yearbook trends. Beginners will learn how to apply principles of design to create pages or spreads, while advanced students will have the opportunity to redesign work in progress or experiment with more complex concepts. Throughout the workshop, students will have opportunities to interact, ask questions, find inspiration, apply feedback and gain ideas for improving design lessons and systems for their own yearbook staff back at school.
Required materials: Laptop with appropriate design software such as Adobe InDesign.
Recommended materials: A few current magazines or digital access to inspiration (idea files, mood boards, Pinterest, screenshots, etc.)
Instructor: Tucker Love, Shawnee Mission South High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Yearbook leadership | $70
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limit 70.
Location: Room 200 FG, Level 2
Are you ready to get a jump start on planning your 2027 yearbook? Join this interactive workshop for a day of intensive planning and goal setting, leadership training and theme development. Schools can send an individual student or groups of up to 10. Be ready to brainstorm and make decisions on everything from staff structure to color schemes. Make sure you have access to the files for your most recent yearbook, school calendar, page counts, staff list and any other planning tools. At the end of the day you will have built a foundation for your next book.
Recommended materials: Something to take notes with.
Instructors: Carrie Faust, CJE, Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, Colorado; Annie Gorenstein-Falkenberg, MJE, Longmont (Colorado) High School
Spring 2026: Full-day workshop and tour combo
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday
Statehouse reporting workshop and tour | $80
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Limit 25.
Location: Room 101 A, Level 1
This workshop will break for lunch on your own from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Learning how to report on local and state government is highly valuable for emerging journalists. This special workshop, co-presented by the Center for Community News, Student Press Law Center and ThreeSixty Journalism’s Capitol Reporting Project, will provide participants with a strong foundation for this kind of work. Students will first attend a half-day workshop in the morning to learn about statehouse reporting, legal frameworks, and how to effectively cover protests, rallies and marches. Then, after lunch, the group will visit the Minnesota State Capitol, where they will receive a guided tour themed around statehouse reporting.
Instructor: Ellen Austin, MJE, Kent State University, Rockford, Illinois
Spring 2026: Morning half-day workshops
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday
Minneapolis Convention Center
Audio storytelling and podcasting principles | $50
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 200 E, Level 2
Audio journalism is a powerful medium for storytelling that offers a uniquely intimate and accessible way to report news and explore complex issues. This half-day workshop offers a chance for journalists of all backgrounds to explore the key principles of effective audio storytelling, which can be applied to podcasts, radio or any kind of audio news segment. Participants will first receive a crash course in audio structure, transitions, storytelling devices, sound design techniques and technical tools. Then, you’ll have a chance to apply what you learned to the creation of your own short audio story. This class is perfect for both students and advisers of all experience levels looking to improve their foundational skills or gain new insight to take back to their scholastic newsroom.
Required materials: A phone with audio recording capabilities and a laptop. A small group of students may share one laptop.
Instructor: Megan Ortiz, CJE, Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, Texas
Social media storytelling for student publications | $50
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 101 J, Level 1
Are you overwhelmed with the thought of managing an effective social media presence for your student publication? This half-day workshop will cover effective storytelling methods for popular social media sites like TikTok, Threads and Instagram, with strategies specifically tailored to the needs of student media programs. Discover essential tools and tips to improve your social media engagement and maximize your online presence, expanding your publication’s reach and impact through the power of multimedia storytelling.
Required materials: A laptop or tablet device.
Instructor: Sarah Lerner, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
Spring 2026: Afternoon half-day workshops
1-5 p.m. Thursday
Minneapolis Convention Center
Getting started with InDesign and Photoshop | $50
1-5 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 101 J, Level 1
No matter what kind of student media publication you’re interested in, there is immense value in learning how to use Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. This half-day workshop will help you unlock the powerful potential of these tools, with a crash course that provides an overview of each application, as well as tips and tricks for using the software to better support your publication work. While this class is aimed at those seeking foundational training, designers and journalists of all backgrounds and experience levels can benefit from participation. This workshop is open to both students and advisers.
Required materials: A laptop with active access to Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.
Instructor: Makena Busch, CJE, Mead High School, Spokane, Washington
Law of the student press with SPLC | $50
1-5 p.m. Limit 40.
Location: Room 200 E, Level 2
In this crash course on media law, you’ll learn how to avoid major legal pitfalls and use the law to improve your reporting. The Student Press Law Center’s resident legal experts will provide an overview of censorship, libel, invasion of privacy, copyright, access to records and meetings, and reporter’s privilege.
Recommended materials: Something to take notes with.
Instructors: Jonathan Gaston-Falk and Mike Hiestand, Student Press Law Center, Washington, D.C.