On Monday November 4, 2024 Madison High School’s students in Broadcast Journalism and Yearbook classes attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Conference funded by the Madison Education Foundation. Beyond creating the Alembic, Madison’s carefully curated yearbook each year, students also run two digital publications: Dodger Media Online, featuring student articles on the latest news, and Dodger Media, which provides video content supporting student research.
The CSPA fall conference is a one day regional event hosted by Columbia University, offering sequences focused on writing, editing, editorial leadership, design, photography, and digital media. It offers 60 sessions to about 1,200 attendees. Since 1925, the mission of the conference remains stalwart, as it provides support for a healthy student press.
Session topics at the conference covered everything from being successful as a journalist professionally to interviewing and interacting with athletes in a variety of environments. There is a large emphasis on studying a diverse skill set in building a meaningful academic foundation for youth.The takeaways from the conference were impactful, one student said that she learned “people who communicate well and have a variety of strengths get choices. If you are an effective writer and speaker, it doesn’t matter what field you choose, you will be better than 95% of people.”
Mr Coviello, teacher of video production classes at Madison High School reflects, “ Getting a chance to interface with students from across the country who are learning the same thing is a valuable experience. Learning from industry professionals in this environment is something that we cannot create in the classroom. I am grateful to the MEF for providing the funds for it.” Ms. DiTuro, teacher of English classes and Broadcast Journalism, echoed Mr. Coviello’s sentiments saying, “Getting to see professional journalists, hearing from individuals at the forefront of the industry, is so valuable for the students; to get this opportunity every year from the MEF is helping bring our instruction to the next level.”
The CSPA Conference will take place again on November 5, 2025, hosted at Columbia University, allowing students to attend both online and in person sessions