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CSMA Adviser Update

America needs journalists... and journalism teachers

CSMA AdviserUpdateAmerica needs journalists... and journalism teachers

Enter our spring contests, summer critiques and scholarship competitions any time up to July 15

It's been a challenging year but our students have risen to the occasion. Our spring awards have been delayed, but don't forget to organize entries in the following:



Remember that all CSMA member media may enter our competitions at no cost beyond membership dues.


Thanks to everyone who replied to our quick deadline survey, which resulted in keeping the July 15 deadline for all our 2019-20 contests. But we do encourage you to submit entries as soon as you are able (and before we forget over summer).

Third round of special Best of Colorado contests deadline is Monday night

We know that each school and each program will be in a different place in terms of creating content now that we are all "remote learning/teaching," so we are offering FOUR different contest cycles. The third deadline is May 11, and one thing to remember is that work entered in Window #1 and #2 of our contests may not be submitted again. .


Our second group of winners in our continuing Best of Colorado awards were announced week, and you can read the entire list here. You can see the top-ranked work in that post.


Entering is easy. Just go to our special contest post and scroll down a bit to find the four submission links for our second round of contests. Awards Window #3 repeats the four contest categories from the first round of contests, so if your students missed that first round, here's their chance to earn some well-deserved recognition..


Our goal is to recognize as much great student work as we can, as soon as we can. The last thing we want to do is add unwelcome pressure to do "one more thing" to anyone's plate. But if you are looking for some motivators for your students and perhaps for some new audiences for their work, please consider participating as much or as little as you want.

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Courage in student journalism award deadline is May 22

Student journalists around the country were doing extraordinary work this academic before COVID-19 took hold in the U.S.


And, with your mentoring, they continue to come through now, under incredibly challenging circumstances.


The Student Press Law Center annually presents an annual award to a high school news organization in recognition of exceptional efforts in fighting for student press freedom.

Examples include taking a stand against censorship or other threats to publishing, pushing back when initially denied public records and/or stories that expose misdeeds, malfeasance or corruption.



In addition to the Courage in Student Journalism Award, you are invited to nominate a school administrator (or adviser) who has demonstrated support, under difficult circumstances, for the First Amendment press rights of student media.


SPLC has extended the submission deadline to May 22. Learn more here. Hope to hear from you soon.

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JEA Adviser Institute goes online this summer

From JEA Executive Director Kelly Glasscock: I am excited to share the news about JEA Advisers Institute moving to an online conference experience July 6-9, 2020.


You can learn more about the shift in our news release here.


The great news is that you can now receive essential professional development, as well as connect with colleagues from around the country, from anywhere.


At a time when teachers are in need of more support, we wanted to bring JEA Advisers Institute to you.


We have an amazing lineup of faculty, which have been promoted on our social media. You can also find the list of faculty at JEA.org/ai. Look for an announcement next week to reveal our keynote speaker.


The reduced price to attend AI is $85 for members and $99 for nonmembers. And since there are no travel costs, the opportunity to learn and connect at JEAai has never been more accessible.


Registration for the online event is now open.

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SAW, reTHINK move to late July

Nothing beats the in-person summer workshop experience, though we highly recommend all the online workshops you can access, and CSMA has moved our summer workshops to July 27-29 to provide an energy boost for your staffs just before the new school year kicks off.


You can read the details on our site, under Summer Workshops, and registration is open (but the deadline is not until July 20, so you have plenty of time to plan).


We know that a lot of things need to happen to allow the 2020-21 school year to open on time, but our fingers are crossed and our workshop instructors will be there for you.


Bonus: reTHINK West returns to Grand Junction Aug. 22-23, focusing on our members on the Western Slope. Many more details will be coming your way.

Here for you, whenever you need us

Jack Kennedy is trying to post lesson ideas, inspirational examples, lists of resources, and more each day (a third podcast episode should be posted later today). We have a new Category on our site called Quick Hits and we encourage you to stop in regularly (and we would LOVE to use lessons and ideas you are having success with -- our members are eager to exchange practical advice). There are 18 posts within this category right now, with more coming.


Adam Dawkins has added a Category on covering the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our adviser support site, and hopes to add more materials regularly. Again, he would love to be able to share YOUR ideas with a broader audience. He put out a request on the CSMA listserv last week with his contact information.


Adam and Jack (and, honestly, most every adviser in our association) can be reached directly by email or phone. You can find helpful contact information here.


Best wishes to you and your family as we take on the most chaotic educational and societal situation of our lifetimes. Our money is on you, among the most talented teachers and thinkers we know, to find a way.

Thanks for being an important part of our state association

Colorado Student Media Association memberships are by school medium, and we offer four options: print news, yearbook, online, and video media. A single membership is $65. We offer a convenient online membership form, and you can choose either to pay with a school credit card or ask to be invoiced.


Spring is busy for everyone, with lots of scholarship opportunities, individual contests, and much more. Watch for your weekly e-newsletter for details and be sure to check our website for the latest information.

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Connect with CSMA

Email: jpkjournalism@gmail.com
Website: colostudentmedia.com
Location: 9253 Sori Lane, Highlands Ranch CO
Phone: 303-550-4755
Facebook: facebook.com/coloradostudentmedia
Twitter: @ColoradoSMA