2023 KSPA Winter Workshops

What are the Winter Workshops? 

The KSPA Winter Workshops provide students with an on-campus and in-person experience to learn a single specialized skill in media or journalism. The events replace the Regional Contests traditionally held during February on university campuses. In response to highly successful on-campus events in February 2023, KSPA is again offering a day of learning to members. 

Our Goal

The intent of these Winter Workshops is to provide students – during their day on campus — with new skills, plus a challenging project that they will complete during that day using the skills they have learned. Rather than attending a variety of shorter break-out sessions, students will select one in-depth session for their day at the Winter Workshops.

Advisers will register their students by selecting from a list of session descriptions for the location they plan to attend. 

Registration

Please note these registration guidelines: 

  • During this first phase of registration, each school may register 15 students. If you register more students than that, our staff will discard the registration and ask you to re-register. Also, your students may lose priority on their preferred sessions. (Note: teachers and advisers do not count against your 15 student registrations.)
  • Schools may attend no more than one location.
  • If more sessions are available, we will open a second phase of registration to allow as many students as possible to register. 
  • All sessions are first come, first served. Once a session fills, our staff will do our best to immediately delete it as a choice.
  • This form will REQUIRE both the name of the student you are registering AND the name of the session that they are requesting.

FINAL REGISTRATIONS closed Jan. 31, 2023 

 

Vital planning dates from 2023

  • Jan. 13: Session descriptions for each location & registration form published
  • Jan. 23 at noon: Phase 1 of Registration due
  • Jan. 25: If session availability remains, Phase 2 of Registration begins
  • Jan. 31: Final registrations are due
  • Week of Feb. 13: Winter Workshop Events 

Who?

All KSPA member schools, their advisers and their students are invited. Sessions have been designed to engage students of many different experience levels.

Where? 

The hub of each Winter Workshop will be each university’s union. However, some sessions will be in other buildings. If anyone attending your workshop has mobility issues, please contact KSPA at staff@kspaonline.org.

Event Dates from 2023

Click on the arrows below to learn more about each workshop location: the sessions offered, the costs, the locations and more!

Monday, Feb. 13: University of Kansas

click on arrow for more details

    • Workshop Sessions: Please click here. 
    • Cost: $13 registration fee includes lunch for each participant plus breakfast.
    • Location: 1435 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence Kansas 66045 // 1301 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045 
    • Maximum attendance: About 300
    • Local host: Eric Thomas is executive director of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and an instructor at the University of Kansas. He teaches photography, visual journalism and more at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. His fellow hosts include administrative assistant Kerry Navinskey and the KSPA staff of student assistants. 
    • Lunch: Lunch will be a pizza buffet including pizza, soft drink or water and a cookie.
    • Student Breakfast: Doughnuts, milk, fruit punch
    • Adviser Breakfast: Doughnuts, coffee, tea, water
    • Parking: See map here. All school cars and vans should use the Mississippi Street Parking Garage that is administered by KU Parking. You can read more about how to use the payment kiosks on campus here. If students are arriving on buses, those vehicles should drop students in front or in back of the union. The buses will need to park at the Lied Center during the event. 
    • Schedule:
    • 8-8:30 a.m.: Local hosts will set up a registration desk and check on room set-ups for each workshop session. (University admission reps might also set up during this time.)
      8:30-9 a.m.: Students and teachers arrive, collect their registration packet and settle into their assigned classrooms (there will be no keynote speaker or main gathering.
      9 a.m.: Workshop sessions begin. Local hosts will travel to each room to welcome the students/advisers to the university and check that the session leaders have what they need.
      9-11:30 a.m.: Session leaders are in charge of programming the instruction of their session and moving students toward a project that will be completed at the end of the day. Local hosts are on call at the registration desk for any questions or issues.
      11:30-12:15 p.m.: Local hosts provide lunch, either through the university food court or through a catering order (such as boxed lunches or pizza).
      12:15-1:30 p.m.: Session leaders reconvene their workshop sessions with an emphasis on completing the assigned project that uses the skills learned during the day.
      1:30 p.m.: Local host checks all rooms for lost belongings, closes registration desk and helps schools leave campus, if needed.

Tuesday, Feb. 14: Kansas State University

click on arrow for more details

    • Workshop Sessions: Please click here. 
    • Cost: $13 registration fee includes lunch for each participant plus breakfast.
    • Location: K-State Student Union, 918 N M.L.K. Jr. Dr, Manhattan, KS 66506
    • Maximum attendance: About 300
    • Local host: Ira (David) Levy teaches journalism at Kansas State University and is the director of the Collegian Media Group, overseeing its affiliated publications, the Collegian newspaper, Royal Purple yearbook and Manhappenin’ magazine. David published articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country. He worked as an assistant producer and writer at CNN, in Atlanta; and, executive produced and hosted the national TV series Pedal America that broadcasts on PBS stations.
    • Lunch: A $12 meal card to the student center food court.
    • Student Breakfast: Pastries, donuts and coffee.
    • Adviser Breakfast:Pastries, donuts and coffee.
    • Parking: Coming soon.
    • Schedule:
    • 8-8:30 Local hosts will set up a registration desk.
      8:30-9:15 a.m. Students and teachers arrive, collect their registration packet and enjoy light pastries and coffee. At 9:15 a.m., David Levy will welcome the attendees and introduce the session leaders. at 9:20 session leaders will escort students their locations.
      9:30 a.m. Workshop sessions begin.
      9-11:30 a.m.: Session leaders are in charge of programming the instruction of their session and moving students toward a project that will be completed at the end of the day. Local hosts are on call at the registration desk for any questions or issues.
      11:30-12:30 Students break for lunch at the university food court. Depending on where their instruction is located, som students might need 15 minutes for walking to and from lunch with 30 minutes to eat.
      12:30-1:45 p.m. Session leaders reconvene their workshop sessions with an emphasis on completing the assigned project that uses the skills learned during the day.Wrap-up.
      2 p.m. Students meet their advisers in the main lobby on the 2nd floor of the Student Union and depart.

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Wichita State University

click on arrow for more details

    • Workshop Sessions: Please click here. 
    • Cost: $13 registration fee includes lunch for each participant plus breakfast.
    • Location: Rhatigan Student Center and Elliott Hall, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260
    • Maximum attendance: About 180
    • Local host: Amy DeVault is in her 16th year teaching journalism and media production classes at Wichita State University and in her 7th year advising The Sunflower, WSU’s student newspaper. She currently serves as president of Kansas Collegiate Media and secretary of the National Scholastic Press Association Board of Directors. In previous lives, DeVault worked at The Wichita Eagle and as a high school journalism adviser.
    • Lunch: A $12 meal card to the student center food court.
    • Student Breakfast: Donuts, juice
    • Adviser Breakfast: Donuts, juice
    • Parking: Coming soon.
    • Schedule:
      8-8:30 a.m.: Local hosts will set up a registration desk and check on room set-ups for each workshop session. (University admission reps might also set up during this time.)
      8:30-9 a.m.: Students and teachers arrive, collect their registration packet and settle into their assigned classrooms (there will be no keynote speaker or main gathering.
      9 a.m.: Workshop sessions begin. Local hosts will travel to each room to welcome the students/advisers to the university and check that the session leaders have what they need.
      9-11:30 a.m.: Session leaders are in charge of programming the instruction of their session and moving students toward a project that will be completed at the end of the day. Local hosts are on call at the registration desk for any questions or issues.
      11:30-12:15 p.m.: Local hosts provide lunch, either through the university food court or through a catering order (such as boxed lunches or pizza).
      12:15-1:30 p.m.: Session leaders reconvene their workshop sessions with an emphasis on completing the assigned project that uses the skills learned during the day.
      1:30 p.m.: Local host checks all rooms for lost belongings, closes registration desk and helps schools leave campus, if needed.

Thursday, Feb. 16: Fort Hays State University

click on arrow for more details

    • Workshop Sessions: Please click here.
    • Cost: $10 per participant, includes the $10 meal card for coffee, snack, etc. in the Memorial Union
    • Location: Fort Hays State University, Memorial Union, 600 Park St, Hays, KS 67601
    • Maximum attendance: about 150
    • Local host: Latisha Haag, Fort Hays State University, Faculty Development Training Specialist
    • Meals: $10 meal card for coffee, snack, etc. in the Memorial Union during 30-minute break
    • Parking: See map here. Vehicles marked with school information will not be ticketed in Lots A-2 and A-3. Busses can unload students in the coned lane in front of the Memorial Union between 8:30-9am. Bus and large vehicle parking is located at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Private vehicles must obtain a parking pass from the University Police Department located in Custer Hall.
    • Schedule:
      8-8:30am Local hosts will set up a registration desk and check on room set-ups for each workshop session. (University admission reps might also set up during this time.)
      8:30-9:00am Students and teachers arrive, collect their registration packet and settle into their assigned classrooms (there will be no keynote speaker or main gathering.
      9:00 AM Workshop sessions begin. Local hosts will travel to each room to welcome the students/advisers to the university and check that the session leaders have what they need.
      9:00-10:45am Session leaders are in charge of programming the instruction of their session and moving students toward a project that will be completed at the end of the day. Local hosts are on call at the registration desk for any questions or issues.
      10:45-11:15am; Short break Students will be given a $10 meal voucher to use at one of the Memorial Union restaurants to purchase a heavy snack/beverage during the break. (Local hosts provide lunch, either through the university food court or through a catering order (such as boxed lunches or pizza).)
      11:15-12pm Session leaders reconvene their workshop sessions with an emphasis on completing the assigned project that uses the skills learned during the day.
      12:00 PM Local host checks all rooms for lost belongings, closes registration desk and helps schools leave campus, if needed.

Friday, Feb. 17: Pittsburg State University: THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELED