Please visit the speaker portal for full instructions.

While we do allow repeat sessions from past conventions, our programming committee will prioritize accepting NEW sessions that have not been previously offered at a previous convention. Thank you for your support of our work by helping us to keep our convention programming fresh and relevant. 

Please ensure you are fully auditing your session details and making updates each time you resubmit. This could be as simple as rewriting the session title to something new, or could involve reworking your lesson plan to include information specifically designed for student media work in 2026.

For this reason, NHSJC is not able to provide past session details upon request, as we want to encourage fresh programming as much as possible. 

Thanks for your patience as we continue to improve and troubleshoot the session proposal process. We look forward to seeing what you put together!

All convention attendees, including speakers, are required to register for the convention and pay any associated registration fees. Fall 2026 registration will open on Aug. 26. Please email register@studentpress.org with registration-related questions.

JEA or NSPA member advisers volunteering their time and expertise during the convention may be eligible for a registration discount or complimentary registration, depending on their contributions. Please visit the Get Involved page to learn more. Note that this special offer expires after our early bird registration deadline.

Besides this member adviser offer, we are unable to offer complimentary registration to our speakers. If you are participating in the convention as an attendee, you will need to register online when registration opens (find deadlines and fee info here) and check-in at the registration desk onsite to receive your name badge.

If you are a featured speaker or local media professional who is not planning to attend any convention events beyond the session(s) you are presenting, you likely do not need to register. Please email us to discuss further.

Please read through our topic guide on the speaker portal and note that we are primarily seeking sessions that are interactive, engaging and hands-on.

While we welcome any submission related to scholastic journalism, we are especially seeking sessions on the following topics:

• Advanced techniques, tools and technical skills (design, reporting, photography, yearbook, etc.)
• Broadcast and multimedia (video production and editing, podcasting, news anchoring, visual journalism, technology and tools, etc.)
• Diversity, equity and inclusion in student media for the JEA DEI Certificate strand and beyond (the importance of representation, covering underrepresented areas, accessibility practices, building newsroom diversity, best practices for coverage, inclusive leadership, etc.)

Below are more topic ideas, based on attendee feedback from previous conventions:

• Advising multiple publications / converged media
• Applying journalism skills to daily life, to college, to non-journalism careers, etc.
• The business of journalism / college journalism
• Design topics (newspaper/newsmagazine design, non-yearbook media design, color theory, typography, etc.)
• Editor-in-chief training / student leadership skills
• Grading and lesson planning for advisers
• Journalism basics / How to teach the basics
• Journalist etiquette and public speaking skills
• Literary magazine or newspaper/newsmagazine topics
• Logistics of student media (distribution, printing, etc.)
• Middle school media programs
• Online and marketing topics (online news, digital journalism, social media marketing and management, etc.)
• Overcoming challenges and troubleshooting problems as an adviser
• Photojournalism topics (all areas, including using Lightroom, camera skills, non-yearbook photography, and more practical, hands-on sessions)
• Publication productivity / project management timeline / deadline management
• Reporting and interviewing skills
• Sports journalism and photography
• Staff management sessions designed for both student editors and advisers
• Writing and editing topics (tips and tricks, copywriting, copy editing, writing leads, arts and entertainment writing, etc.)

While the exact presentation format is up to you, we are especially seeking sessions that are more interactive and hands-on.

No matter what, we value sessions that provide an engaging, high-energy experience. Please remember that the majority of our attendees are middle and high school students. For example, if you do plan a lecture or panel format, please include time for your attendees to ask questions and engage with you as the presenter.

Please present something that aligns well with the session title and description you provide. Nothing is more frustrating than attending a session only to find out the presentation doesn’t match the information provided.

Your session should fill all or most of your 45-minute time slot, but please do not go past the designated end time, to allow the next presenter to set up.

We also require all speakers and attendees to follow our rules of conduct throughout each presentation.

Yes, but please note there is a chance all or most will be accepted, so please only submit what you are actually willing to present.

If you are submitting more proposals than you are able to present, please note this on the application under “Notes for organizers.” (i.e. “I am submitting six session proposals, but I can only present two total. Please select whichever two are most needed.”)

The quantity of proposals accepted will be based on the total number received and the amount of slots available. During more popular conventions, we may not be able to accept everything, but we will do our best to ensure everyone who wants to present is able to present at least one session.

Yes, the invitation to submit proposals for breakout sessions at the national convention is extended to students in editorial leadership positions. We also encourage advisers to co-present with their student leaders.

It is recommended that no more than three students present any one session. Student presenters are asked to work with their faculty adviser to guarantee quality instruction.

For student-led sessions, the adviser should be at the session to assist. If the adviser is also submitting a separate session proposal, please indicate on the form the names of your students so convention officials can help avoid conflicts in scheduling.

Please note, there are no student fee waivers for speaking. Please visit this page to learn more about student scholarships.

Yes! See below:

• All session materials – including titles and descriptions – should follow sentence case and AP style. Even in titles, capitalize only the following: the first word of a title, header or sentence; proper nouns (see AP style guide for what qualifies); in a title or header, the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation
• The official event name is Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.
• Use spring convention, national high school journalism convention or JEA/NSPA national convention on second reference. Not JEA convention or NSPA convention.
• Always keep JEA/NSPA together, never separate.
• For an event acronym, please use NHSJC.
• Official social media hashtag is #NHSJC.

You can view the status of your submission at any time through the “My Submissions” tab of the Cvent submission portal.

We will send out initial acceptance notices by Sept. 30 at the latest, before the early bird registration deadline. Then, final scheduling details (time slot and room assignments) will be sent out in the weeks following. If your availability changes at any point, PLEASE update your submission accordingly (or email us to have it updated), since that is what we’ll use to assign time slots.

Thank you for your patience with any delay in response to emails during the scheduling process. To help speed things up, please take some time to become familiar with your Cvent submission portal. Many of your questions can be answered using this FAQ or by reviewing your “My Submissions” page first.

This means your session was accepted to the convention and we will soon be scheduling it for a time slot and breakout room.

PLEASE carefully review all acceptance notices and RESPOND to the email letting us know that you will be in attendance and are able to present the listed session, or that you cannot.

If you are unable to attend or present the session that was accepted, PLEASE let us know as soon as you receive the initial acceptance email, so we can remove you from the list before scheduling is finalized. The convention schedule is a highly complex process, so we greatly appreciate your prompt response as it is much easier to remove a session before it has been scheduled, rather than after.

The convention sometimes receives a large amount of session proposals (300-400+). While we try to accept as many as possible in the first round, we may need to create a waiting list. Once the schedule has been created, we will identify gaps in time slots or topics and use sessions on the waiting list to help fill things out.

The scheduling process is complex, so thank you for your patience with our programming manager while she works to try to fit everything in!

If you miss the Sept. 9 deadline this fall, we will first prioritize scheduling all on-time submissions before considering any others, and only on an as-needed basis. Late submissions will be added to the waitlist in the meantime. We often have changes and cancellations that occur, so we are usually able to accommodate waitlisted sessions, but we appreciate your additional patience as we figure things out.

Our standard breakout session time slot is 45 minutes. Each session will begin at the start of the hour (i.e. 9-9:45 a.m.) and you can arrive up to 15 minutes prior to get set up as the previous session concludes.

Room sizes vary depending on the venue. The room’s max capacity will be listed online with your session once your room assignment is confirmed.

All breakout rooms will be set up in either classroom (rows of tables with chairs) or theater (rows of chairs, no tables) seating. If you would like to request a room with a specific set, please make note on the session proposal form. Due to the large volume of concurrent sessions, we are usually unable to provide a room set that differs from these two options. However, you are welcome to move around the chairs and/or tables in the room as long as you reset before the next session begins.

Please include this request in the “Notes for organizers” field on the session proposal form. Due to the large number of sessions, we are unable to guarantee anything, but we will do our best.

Please note that the more flexible you are in the scheduling availability you provide, the easier it will be to accommodate this kind of request.

Session attendance is first-come, first-served, so beyond learning the max capacity of your assigned room, there isn’t a good way to estimate how many attendees you can expect. We encourage you to plan a flexible presentation that can accommodate any size group. NHSJC usually has between 3,000 to 4,000 attendees, so many sessions will max out the room’s capacity.

NHSJC attendance is roughly 80% middle and high school student journalists and 20% journalism advisers, teachers and professionals. Standard session attendance is open to all attendees, so please note that even if your session is geared toward advisers, students may still choose to attend (and vice versa). Please plan accordingly.

Presenting a NHSJC session is an unpaid volunteer opportunity to benefit the education and professional development of student journalists and their advisers. JEA and NSPA are unable to reimburse speakers for travel and lodging expenses. 

All speakers will need to register for the convention. Advisers, if you are interested in learning how to qualify for discounted or complimentary registration, visit this page for more info. Students, there are no fee waivers for speaking, but you are welcome to apply separately for our student scholarship opportunity. 

Featured Speakers and Break with a Pro speakers who are invited to participate by the Minneapolis local committee will receive complimentary parking at the event venue on the day(s) they speak. These specially designated individuals, who will not otherwise be attending the convention, do not need to pay to register – please visit the Speaker Check-in desk (near registration) upon your arrival to receive your name badge.

You can arrive up to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time to get set up as the previous session concludes. For example, if your session starts at 11:00 a.m., you can arrive at 10:45 a.m. We recommend arriving at least 10 minutes early. If you are speaking during the first session of the day (8:00 a.m.) you can arrive up to 30 minutes early.

We can provide a “standard breakout set” which includes a screen and projector with HDMI hookup. Additionally, if your presentation will include audio elements (music, video, etc.) we can provide a simple wireless speaker that can connect to your computer via bluetooth, but only if you make this request on your session application.

Due to the large volume of breakout sessions at the convention, we are unable to accommodate A/V requests beyond these basics. Please note in your proposal what equipment you will need. Remember, if you fail to note this correctly, your assigned room may not include that equipment.

NHSJC is not able to provide laptops. Speakers are required to bring their own laptop with all presentation materials preloaded and ready to go. If your laptop does not have an HDMI port, please bring an adaptor. We may have a couple adaptors available, but the quantity is limited as there are usually 20-30 sessions happening concurrently.

We are also not able to accommodate microphone requests for breakout sessions, as those decisions are based on room size. If you are assigned to a room that is big enough to need a microphone, there will be a microphone available at the podium.

Yes! However, it is limited, so we recommend that you ensure all your presentation materials are available OFFLINE whenever possible. Live events have an odd tendency to invite technical difficulties and internet issues. 

• Any materials you will use during the session (i.e. handouts, etc.)
• A laptop with your presentation downloaded and ready to go. We recommend having your presentation available offline, if possible – while we do provide speaker Wi-Fi, it’s never a good idea to rely on internet during a live event.
• An HDMI adaptor for your laptop, if needed (Apple users, we’re looking at you!)
• A flexible mindset! NHSJC breakout sessions are first-come, first-served and there are usually between 20-30 presentations happening concurrently. While it can be a little chaotic and unpredictable, it can also be a lot of fun, especially when you’re prepared to embrace flexibility and creative problem solving when needed. For example, even if your session is primarily intended for advisers, students may still decide to attend – we encourage you to be ready for any audience!

No. Due to the large volume of sessions at each convention, we are trusting that your presentation slides/materials will align with the session description you provided. Additionally, please ensure all session materials align with the convention’s Rules of Conduct.

It is not required, but if you would like to upload files to your session for attendees to view and download, there will be a way to do this through the convention mobile app.

If you will be using AV during your session, you will be in charge of connecting your laptop to the projector and/or audio speaker. If you encounter any issues, we will have some tech support available. To request support, please call the convention hotline (the number will be listed on a piece of paper on the podium in your session room). We recommend arriving no later than 10 minutes before your session start time, just in case troubleshooting is needed.