I know a lot of folks are coming to St. Louis by bus. The hotel has sent the following information for bus parking:
“The parking location you can use is 12th & Cole. Please make sure that there is a note that advance arrangements need to be made prior to parking on the lot (i.e.: the customer will need to contact SLP so a On-Duty Manager can meet the individual at the lot to ensure they park in the proper area and payment is collected). The phone number for contact is 314-231-9108. For advance arrangements they should contact me at (314) 241-7777 ext. 26.”
This is for parking overnight, not drop-off.
Now that the earlybird deadline has passed, NSPA has posted a list of the publications, schools, individuals and vendors registered for St. Louis. Find out who else is coming from your area and make plans to meet with friends and colleagues.
The list will be updated periodically until the start of the convention. Look forward to seeing everyone!
11/11 Final Judges\’ List
This is the final list of moderators & judges, organized by last name. Please check the list and check especially to see if you are a moderator/lead judge. If you are, please make sure attend the moderators’ meeting. Check the program for time & location. All judges should sign in at the desk outside the judges’ dinner Friday night at 6 pm.
Also, Mike Riley rileym@park6.k12.wy.us is handling broadcast categories and Bradley Wilson wilsonbrad@aol.com is in charge of photo categories.
While you are planning your trip to St. Louis, take the extra step to make it even more educational by adding a media tour or more memorable by adding a sightseeing tour. We have plenty of room in both.
MEDIA TOURS:
All tours have space available, so if you are arriving in St. Louis with enough time on Thursday, a tour of a newspaper, magazine, broadcast station, ad agency or Busch Stadium will really be a fantastic opportunity. These are behind-the-scenes tours in groups small enough to get your questions answered and to interact with media professionals. All tours are just $15 per person, which includes transportation. Next week, we will assess whether some tours need to be cancelled for low participation, so the time to act is now.
If you would like to add a tour, contact Mike Gesselchen at (612) 625-1857 or mike (at) studentpress.org to do so.
SIGHTSEEING TOURS:
Destination St. Louis has set up six fantastic tours for our convention attendees. JEA and NSPA don’t make any money off these. We just work with the tour company to set up the options. Go to: http://www.destinationstlouis.com/NSPA.htm where you can view descriptions, download a form to fax or register online. A note about the Anheuser-Busch/Drewes tour — no Budweiser, yes clydesdales, yes frozen treats.
We’re all storytellers, and at the St. Louis convention, you will have a chance to tell your personal story, have it uploaded to SchoolTube.com and be eligible for inclusion on a convention Web site. Stop by the exhibit hall on in the Majestic Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel on Thursday or Friday and look for the Your Story booth. From 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday record your story in Room 90 of the Convention Center. Tell your story. Become part of history.
Bring your administrator with you to the convention and you just might return with an improved relationship and more support for the student press. The registration fees are waived for administrators although they do need to register. If they come to the advisers’ luncheon, they do have to pay the regular fee for that.
We will offer several sessions aimed right at administrators, including a forum at 10 a.m. on Friday, called “Why Administrators Should Support Student-Run Media.” A panel of current and former administrators will discuss their experiences with journalism in their schools and why they chose to support student freedom of expression. Topics include their views of the Hazelwood ruling and prior review, how they support the First Amendment and protect their school by allowing students to make ethical and content decisions, and how they react when students print or broadcast stories that make others angry or uncomfortable. The panel will also include the former director of the Student Press Law Center, Mark Goodman, who will explain the legal reasons administrators should support student-run media.
Right after that session at 11 a.m., we have the Friday’s advisers luncheon. Why not invite your administrator to join you at the luncheon and you could discuss what they heard at the forum? Don’t miss this chance to build your relationship with your administrator as you build your program.
The luncheon will also feature a guest speaker, photojournalist Stephanie Kuykendal, who has worked around the world, including Iraq and Bosnia (see earlier post about the luncheon.
We really want to encourage teachers to apply for the Outreach Academy, even if they have more than five years of experience, if they teach in a low-income, urban or rural school district. See the details below and don’t miss this opportunity.
The Outreach Academy is a free, intensive pre-convention seminar for publications advisers who teach in schools traditionally underrepresented in JEA membership, especially low-income, urban and rural schools. The program includes discussion of teaching journalism to highly diverse populations, effective instructional techniques, resources for teachers in and out of the classroom, and organizations ready to help advisers.
Limited to 30 participants, the Outreach Academy runs from 8:30 am-4:30 pm Thursday, Nov. 13, and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Tuition is free. Participation in the program also includes free registration to the St. Louis JEA/NSPA Convention Nov. 13-16. Their schools will also be reimbursed for one day of sub pay if the teacher submits the proper paperwork to JEA. Priority for admission will be given to advisers from the host city and surrounding urban areas. Special consideration will be given to advisers who are new to JEA in schools with economically disadvantaged students, advisers of color, and advisers with fewer than five years’ advising experience. As an added bonus, outreach participants are eligible for $150 scholarships to other journalism workshops.
To apply, complete the application form on page 9 and mail with your letter, which must be received by Oct. 10 to: JEA Outreach Academy, c/o Mary Williams, 511 Oaktree Crossing Ct., Ballwin, MO 63021. E-mail marywilliams@u-city.k12.mo.us for more information.
You can also download the forms at www.jea.org/ diversity/index.html.