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    Columbia University Pre-College Programs CSPA Student Journalism Quick Courses

    by Columbia University Pre-College Programs

    • Online

    The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) made six recorded webinars for student journalists and the advisers who run school publications. Each one is taught by an experienced publications adviser and covers one practical topic, such as running a newspaper cycle, shooting digital content on a phone, trends in CSPA's Crown Awards or improving in-depth packages. The whole series is on Vimeo, so you can watch at your own pace and in any order.

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

    At a glance

    Official facts · checked 11 Nov 2026
    DatesNot published
    Not announced yet
    Who can applyOfficial
    Made for student journalists and publication advisers
    Total costNot published
    The organizer doesn't publish this.
    Format and placeOfficial
    Online
    Length
    Not published
    Included / budget separately
    Not published
    Deposit and refunds
    Not published
    Financial aid
    Not published
    Apply by
    Not publishedNot announced yet
    Cohort and selectivity
    Not published
    Credit or certificate
    Not published
    Official page
    precollege.sps.columbia.edu/columbia-scholastic-press-association/cspa-membership/cspa-student-journalism-quick-courses

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    CSPA Student Journalism Quick Courses

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    In short

    Worth watching for students already working on a school newspaper, yearbook or news site who want practical ideas from award-winning advisers. Anyone wanting a structured course with feedback or a credential will get little, since it's six recorded talks.

    • Why it's worth it

      The advice is specific to student publications, from how an award-winning paper runs each cycle to what CSPA's Crown Award judges have been seeing, which is especially useful if your publication enters CSPA's awards.

    • What it asks of you

      Only your time, at whatever pace suits you, although CSPA doesn't say how long each video runs. You'll get far more from it with a publication to try the ideas on.

    • Who should skip it

      Students who don't yet work on a publication, because the sessions are built around running one, and two of the six, on recruiting staff and starting out as a new adviser, speak mainly to teachers.

    What's in the six videos, and how do you watch them?

    The six webinars are recorded and collected in a Vimeo showcase, so there are no live classes, set times or time zones to plan around, and you can watch them in any order. The showcase actually holds seven videos, because From Pitch to Print comes with a separate Q&A recording, and a few titles there differ slightly from CSPA's list (Publications CPR appears as In-Depth Publication CPR, for example).

    Nothing is handed in, so there's no feedback from the instructors, and CSPA doesn't publish running times.

    VideoWhat it covers
    From Pitch to Print: How to Organize and Execute a Newspaper CycleHow the award-winning ReMarker newspaper structures each cycle from start to finish
    CSPA Crown Award TrendsWhat publications across the country are doing and what led to their success
    Backpack JournalismMaking top-level digital content with whatever equipment you have, even an iPhone
    How to Recruit Staff and Build Your Dream ProgramRecruiting, marketing and involving students in sales to build a publication program
    Publications CPRImproving in-depth editorial packages, using strong student and professional examples
    Congratulations! You're a New Adviser. Now What?Getting a newspaper or yearbook staff organized when an adviser takes over for the first time

    Who's behind the videos?

    Every session is led by a current or former high school publications adviser, and five of the six hold roles in the Columbia Scholastic Press Advisers Association, while three also teach at CSPA's Summer Journalism Workshop. Jenny Dial Creech, who runs From Pitch to Print, is a former professional journalist who now advises the ReMarker at St. Mark's School of Texas and is president of the advisers association.

    Kathleen Zweibel, who presents Crown Award Trends, chairs CSPA's committee on judging standards. Debra Klevens, behind the recruiting session, was the 2023 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, and Kori James advises the award-winning Feather Online at Fresno Christian Schools.

    What should you do next?

    CSPA sets no application, deadline or session dates for the series, so the only decision is where to start. If you work on a newspaper, From Pitch to Print and its Q&A make a natural first pick, and it helps to have a recent issue of your own publication open so you can compare as you watch.
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    Frequently asked questions

    CSPA lists the series among its membership pages, but it doesn't say whether you need to be a member, and it links the whole series on Vimeo from its site. Membership is bought per publication, and the $55 Basic Membership is what lets a publication request critiques and enter CSPA's Crown and Gold Circle awards.

    The series comes from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, whose pages sit on Columbia University's Pre-College Programs website. It's a set of standalone recorded webinars, though, and CSPA doesn't mention any certificate, evaluation or credit for watching them.

    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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