The Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop is a summer training workshop for school media staffs, run by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). It takes place at a hotel in Richardson, in the Dallas area of Texas.
Each student picks one course and stays in it for the whole workshop, across advisers, design, digital, newspaper, photography and yearbook sequences. Nearly 600 students and advisers from five states came in 2026; the 2027 edition runs June 28–July 1.
Benefits & funding
- Four days of instruction in one chosen course from scholastic journalism faculty.
- Self-funded: enrolment was US$140 in 2026, covering one course but not hotel or food.
- Optional 2026 extras: bonus classes (US$20) and one-to-one “Meet the Expert” staff sessions (US$75 each).
- 2026 group hotel rate: US$125 a night before fees and taxes.
- Two workshop scholarships a year cover the US$140 tuition.
Eligibility
- Middle and high school student journalists, and their media advisers.
- Students staying at the workshop hotel must be accompanied by their adviser, who must also register.
- A parent or legal guardian and the student must sign the participation agreement electronically.
- Some courses set an entry bar: Advanced Photography expects at least a year of publication photography; Yearbook Theme Development takes up to five staff leaders per school.
- No nationality or residence rule is stated.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
High School
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Application process
- 1Choose one workshop course.
- 2Register and pay by credit card, check or school purchase order (2026 deadline: June 19).
- 3Advisers book rooms through the workshop’s hotel reservation form (2026 deadline: June 8).
- 4For a scholarship, send the application form, a letter on how it would help you and a short adviser reference by May 15.
Program timeline
Hotel reservation deadline (2026)
Jun 8, 2026
Registration deadline (2026)
Jun 19, 2026
2026 workshop
Jun 28, 2026 to Jul 2, 2026
Scholarship deadline
May 15, 2027
2027 workshop (bonus classes June 27)
Jun 28, 2027 to Jul 1, 2027