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    Next session starts 1 Nov 2027

    Columbia University Pre-College Programs CSPA Fall Conference

    by Columbia University Pre-College Programs

    • 2027 program

    The CSPA Fall Conference is a one-day gathering on Columbia University's campus in New York where student journalists and their advisers choose from more than 60 in-person sessions. Classes cover writing and editing, staff organization, photography, design and layout, AI, misinformation, and media law and ethics, and they're aimed at newspaper, web, yearbook and magazine staffs. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association runs it every fall, and the 87th edition is on Monday, 1 November 2027.

    Facts checked against the official page on 11 Nov 2026 · Editor: Ben StacyBen Stacy · Sources

    At a glance

    Official facts · checked 11 Nov 2026
    DatesOfficial
    2027: 1 November
    Who can applyOfficial
    Secondary school students and teachers from schools in the US. Students and teachers from international schools following an American plan of education
    Total costNot published
    The organizer doesn't publish this.
    Format and placeOfficial
    In person, Columbia University, New York, NY
    Length
    One day
    Included / budget separately
    Not published
    Deposit and refunds
    Not published
    Financial aid
    Not published
    Apply by
    Not published
    Cohort and selectivity
    Not published
    Credit or certificate
    Not published
    Official page
    precollege.sps.columbia.edu/columbia-scholastic-press-association/cspa-events-and-programs/cspa-fall-conference

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    CSPA Fall Conference

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    Should you apply?

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    In short

    A strong pick for students on a school newspaper, yearbook, magazine or news site who can get to Columbia's campus for a day. Students who aren't on a publication staff, or who live far from New York, will get much less from it.

    • Why it's worth it

      You put together your own day from more than 60 sessions built around the publications students actually run, from photography and layout to AI and media law, and your publication doesn't need to be a CSPA member for you to go.

    • What it asks of you

      It takes a full Monday in New York, so that's a missed school day plus travel for anyone outside the city. You also have to register online ahead of time with a signed media release, because CSPA took no on-site registrations in 2026.

    • Who should skip it

      Students who don't work on a newspaper, web, yearbook or magazine staff, because CSPA builds the sessions around running those publications, right down to staff motivation and legal questions for editors.

    What do you actually do at the conference?

    You build your own day by picking classroom sessions from the more than 60 on offer, with students and advisers drawing on the same program. CSPA groups them into sequences on writing, editing, editorial leadership, design, photography and digital media. Its topic list also takes in staff organization and motivation, AI, misinformation and disinformation, and legal and ethical concerns for advisers and editors.

    CSPA doesn't list session times or a running order on its conference pages, so check the agenda once registration begins. Since the sessions are pitched at newspaper, web, yearbook and magazine staffs, it pays to choose them with your own publication's weak spots in mind, whether that's tired page design or a staff that's hard to keep organized.

    Who can attend?

    Secondary school students and teachers can attend, whether their school is in the US or is an international school following an American plan of education. Your publication doesn't need a CSPA membership to come along, because membership only matters for CSPA's contests.

    CSPA doesn't describe any selection process, and it talks about welcoming delegates from around the country. What it doesn't spell out is whether a student can register alone or has to come with a school group and adviser. If you're thinking of going on your own, ask CSPA at cspa@columbia.edu or (212) 854-9400 before you make travel plans.

    What should you do next?

    The 87th conference is on Monday, 1 November 2027, and CSPA hasn't posted its registration dates or fee yet. Since there was no on-site registration in 2026, plan to sign up as soon as registration begins, with your school's OK for the day off and a signed media release ready for each attendee.
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    Frequently asked questions

    The Columbia Scholastic Press Association presents it, and Columbia University hosts it on its campus. CSPA was founded in 1925 as an international student press association that brings student journalists and faculty advisers together.

    Membership is bought per publication rather than per school and costs $55. CSPA says that fee can be used once as a credit toward registration for a CSPA event in the same membership year, which runs from 1 July to 30 June, and members contact the CSPA office to redeem it.

    Contact Columbia University Disability Services at disability@columbia.edu or 212-854-2388 at least 10 days before the conference. Requests for live captioning (CART) or sign language interpretation need at least two weeks' notice.

    Sources

    Facts checked against the official page on 11 Nov 2026

    Editor: Ben Stacy

    Succeed has no commercial relationship with Columbia University Pre-College Programs.

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