Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Registration is open for the 102nd CSPA Spring Convention

Attendees can choose from more than 240 sessions over three days, March 18-20, 2026. The event will take place on the Columbia campus.

Available for the first time this spring, CSPA will offer half-day workshops in photography, broadcast journalism, advanced writing, and as well, a special half-day session for advisers only. Sign up for these and in-person critiques during event registration.

Sign up early and save: early-bird registration ends February 6, 2026.

Visit cspa.columbia.edu for more information.

Crown Finalist Announcement Schedule

Tune in to Instagram or Facebook on the dates/times listed below to learn which student publications are Crown finalists and will win either a Gold or Silver Crown.

In a special ceremony on the last day of the CSPA Spring Convention, March 20, 2026, finalists will learn whether their publication earned a Gold or Silver Crown Award for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Finalists will be announced over three days, December 9-11, 2025:

Magazine Category
December 9, 2025
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

News Category
December 10, 2025
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST
Yearbook Category
December 11, 2025
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

Results will also be published to the cspa website, cspa.columbia.edu, at the end of each day. 📸: Sirin Samman

Welcome to the 85th Annual CSPA Fall Conference!

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) invites you to support the future of scholastic journalism and make a critical impact during Columbia Giving Day.
Your donation to CSPA on Giving Day directly supports students and helps ensure that our next generation of journalists have the opportunity to learn, lead, and thrive. To contribute, please see the Support CSPA link on our profile. (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/studentjournalism/) (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/studentpress/)

Registration is now up and running. Thank you for your patience

Join us November 3 in New York!

CSPA and Columbia University invite you to attend its 85th Annual Fall Conference taking place on the Columbia University campus in New York City November 3.

The Fall Conference is a one-day regional event for student journalists and their advisers who produce content for student newspapers, websites, yearbooks, and literary magazines.

The six-hour conference schedule will offer more than 65 sessions on all aspects of publication production, including writing, editing, management, design, photography, digital media, yearbook, student press rights, and much more.

Attendees will get important training, useful strategies, and have the opportunity to make meaningful connections.

Sign up soon—early-bird registration ends October 3. We hope to see you there! Learn more at cspa.columbia.edu.

CSPA Advisers Association Appoints Debra Klevens to Its Board

On September 22, 2025, on behalf of the CSPA Advisers Association (CSPAA), CSPA Board President Jenny Dial Creech appointed educator Debra Klevens to the CSPAA board.

Klevens will assume the newly-created position of Chair of Committee on Adviser Relations. In this role, she will work to increase understanding and collaboration between CSPA and scholastic journalism advisers, by advising the association on how better to address the needs of students, advisers, and schools, in support of high school journalism nationwide. Klevens is uniquely qualified for this position, with extensive practical experience as an instructor and adviser, and from her roles outside the classroom. CSPA is delighted to welcome Klevens to the CSPAA Board.
_______________________________________
Founded in 1927, the Columbia Scholastic Press Advisers Association (CSPAA) is a professional organization of teachers and advisers devoted to the development of the student press in accordance with educational practices.

CSPA Membership Deadline Extended to September 15

Basic CSPA membership is the starting point for entry into the prestigious CSPA Crown and Gold Circle Awards programs. These awards enable student journalists to demonstrate their excellence against other publications nationwide. Learn more at cspa.columbia.edu

Congratulations to our Summer 2025 Greenman Leadership Grant awardees! It was great to welcome you to the CSPA Summer Journalism Workshop!

Pictured, left to right: Karelia Clarke—Nogales High School; Caris Jackson—Patricia E. Paetow High School; Elly Zhang—Bellaire High School; Barbara Figuera Salazar—Patricia E. Paetow High School; and Reese Graham—Portage Northern High School

Not pictured:
Sofia Acebedo Ciro—Bell Creek Academy
Kimberly Cruz-Cruz—Thomas Jefferson HS Sci/Tech

CSPA Summer Journalism Workshop News Reporting and Writing students, their instructor , and CSPA Director Jennifer Ha, visited Thomson Reuters U.S. headquarters for a presentation and tour, led by Global Editor, AI Development & Integration for Reuters, Arlyn Tobias Gajilan (). In her role, she helps oversee the implementation of AI capabilities throughout the news agency’s worldwide newsrooms and its products, such as Reuters.com and its recently redesigned app. In her presentation, she discussed Reuters’ history, operations, and its approach to the use of AI in news production.

A 13-year Reuters veteran, she has held several roles, including as Digital News Director and responsible for setting the editorial direction of the site and its social media presence. Gajilan has also served as Deputy Managing Editor for Operations overseeing bureaus across the Americas. Prior to Reuters, she held senior editorial positions at Newsweek, Forbes.com, Condé Nast Portfolio, Time, and Fortune. She is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and of Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.