Chris Carlson named to CSPA Hall of Fame

Chris Carlson, an award-winning photojournalist for the Associated Press, has been inducted into the California Scholastic Press Association’s Hall of Fame, president and chairman Todd Harmonson announced Tuesday.

“Chris has been the heart of the CSPA Workshop since he joined our staff in 1994, and he always is one of our students’ favorite instructors because of his rare combination of expertise, passion and world-class talent,” Harmonson said. “We can’t imagine conducting a workshop without him and hope we don’t have to consider that for a long time.”

Carlson has led the photojournalism curriculum at the workshop since 1994 and has been a valued member of the Board of Directors who annually dedicates his time and resources to teach multiple classes during the first week of the workshop.

In his role with the AP as a photographer and editor, and in his previous role with the Orange County Register, Carlson regularly has covered international news and sports events and has won awards for his coverage of the Obama campaign and of numerous wildfires and mass shootings.

The 2021 CSPA virtual workshop continued Tuesday and included Carlson’s presentation on photojournalism, and the program is set to run through Friday.

70th workshop kicks off

The 70th-annual California Scholastic Press Association journalism workshop kicked off Monday morning with students meeting each other and their instructors and completing their initial assignment.

Kellen Browning, Gwen Wu present
Gwen Wu of the Houston Chronicle (right) and Kellen Browning of The New York Times coach students on the basics of lede writing.

The workshop, traditionally held on the campus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, is an online-only event for a second consecutive year because of COVID-19 safety protocols, but the move online has allowed CSPA to expand its reach, and this year’s class includes students from four countries.

Over these five days, our students will learn the fundamentals of journalism and also have the opportunity to interact with professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, including print journalism, broadcast, online media, photojournalism and public relations.

Karen Raffensperger (right), who recently retired from CBS News, discusses journalism ethics with CSPA students.

The event will conclude on Friday, with a presentation from award-winning former Orange County Register reporter Larry Welborn, plus a discussion with Brittny Mejia of the Los Angeles Times and Soumya Karlamangla of The New York Times.

Applications for 2021 virtual workshop open

Update: Thanks for your interest in the workshop. Our 2021 application is now closed. Look for the 2022 application to go live in January.

For 70 years, the California Scholastic Press Association high school journalism workshop has provided students the opportunity to learn about the industry from talented professionals in the business.

Applications for this year’s workshop are now open. Again planned as a virtual workshop, it will be held July 12-16, 2021 and will cost $50. (Financial support is available for qualified students.)

Students may join from anywhere in the world, and will learn from a roster of journalists eager to share their real-world experience, spark students’ curiosity and develop critical thinking skills.

Apply now for the workshop! New deadline — Sunday, June 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT
(application will open in a new tab)

Instruction includes live lectures, small group mentoring sessions with a faculty member and optional networking and social time with counselors who are recent graduates of the program.

The workshop is open to rising high school students (grades 10-12) and graduating seniors, or the equivalent for international students. Students must be 15 years old on or before the start of the workshop.

Students must be available to attend live classes in person from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT (including breaks), with one additional required hours TBD on Tuesday-Thursday.

Students also must be proficient in the English language. All classes, assignments and feedback will be conducted in English.

Reliable internet and access to a device for completing basic reporting and writing assignments on deadline is also required.

Enrollment in this year’s workshop is limited, so don’t wait — apply today!

Want to sponsor a CSPA student? Donations are being accepted to cover the cost of students with financial need for this year’s virtual workshop. All donors will be thanked with a presence on the website.

Click on the image above to donate.

UPDATE: CSPA Workshop going virtual for 2020

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors of the California Scholastic Press Association has made the difficult decision to move the 2020 workshop to a virtual format.
“For more than two-thirds of my life, the CSPA Workshop has been the certainty of my summer,” said Todd Harmonson, senior editor of The Orange County Register and CSPA chairman and president. “I could not conceive of a July without a return to San Luis Obispo to teach with all our other volunteers and work with a new class of student journalists.
“But we simply cannot do that during a global pandemic and ensure the health and safety of you, our students, as well as our faculty.”
The workshop will take place July 6-10, 2020 and will be offered to students free of charge. Previously accepted students have been notified, and will be offered the opportunity to participate in the virtual workshop, which will differ from the traditional in-person workshop in terms of content.
The enrollment of the virtual workshop will also be increased to open it to additional students, but it will be capped.
UPDATE: The capacity for both the workshop and the wait list has been reached. Our application is now closed.

Apply for the 69th annual CSPA Workshop now!

The California Scholastic Press Association will hold its 69th-annual high school journalism workshop on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from July 5-17, 2020.

CSPA Workshop graduates do more in 13 days than most people do all summer. Whether you’re an experienced student journalist, a beginner or simply a student interested in improving your writing skills, you’ll find the CSPA Workshop beneficial.

Our curriculum covers a wide variety of journalism-related areas, including writing, editing, photography, blogging, newspaper and television production, and social media. Students will also tour the local television station and government center and enjoy an afternoon at the beach.

Tuition is $1,975 (plus a processing fee for online transactions) and includes lodging and all meals. Apply here: http://bit.ly/cspa2020

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with the first acceptance notifications expected within 30 days of application submissions, potentially well before the March 31 priority deadline! Don’t wait if you want to be a part of the class of 2020!

Want to know more about the workshop? Click here for a rundown of our curriculum and some of our notable classes and instructors.