Annual Conference & Membership

The Northern Illinois Student Press Association holds an annual Spring Conference in April at the College of DuPage.

At the conference, hundreds of high school journalists and their advisers from across Chicagoland meet to share their experiences, improve their skills and recognize their accomplishments. NISPA is dedicated to preparing young people to live up to the highest ideals of the First Amendment.

Area advisers must send in registration forms and a fee to NISPA in March. Students who attend the conference benefit from seminars on a wide range of journalistic topics and skills, learning with their peers. Each April, a professional journalist gives a keynote address to inspire high school journalists.

The form and fee entitles scholastic yearbook, web and print publications to compete against area high schools in journalistic writing, editing, photography and design. Top performers in four divisions are awarded the prestigious Golden Eagle. Member advisers also may submit a candidate for the $1,000 Tom Gebhardt scholarship, which is awarded to two outstanding high school journalists.