The Online Publication of SIPA

SchoPress

The Online Publication of SIPA

SchoPress

The Online Publication of SIPA

SchoPress

Competitions

SCSPA Individual Contests

Broadcast staffs may compete in eight areas: news and feature stories, public service announcements, graphics, sports coverage, news anchor, reporter and personality profile or human interest story.

Magazine staffs may compete in seven areas: art, cover, non-fiction, photography, poetry, short story and spread design.

Newspaper staffs may enter SCSPA’s Excellence in Scholastic Newspaper Award contest. Awards are presented in 13 categories to schools divided into three classes. Classes A & B are high school staffs based on enrollment: 1-1,550 and 1,551 and over. Class C is for middle schools.

Yearbook staffs may compete in seven areas: cover, feature photography, sports photography, spot feature photography, feature writing, spread design and theme development.

Photographers can compete in a mail-in contest in September and April.

Broadcast and newspaper individual competition awards are presented at the spring conference while yearbook and magazine individual competition awards are presented at the fall conference. Mail-in photography awards are presented at both the spring and fall conferences.

SCSPA Publication Evaluations

Experienced scholastic judges evaluate SCSPA magazines, newspapers, yearbooks and broadcast programs. They provide valuable feedback to help staffs improve as well as award excellence according to established scholastic journalism standards.

Newspaper and broadcast evaluations are due March 9. Awards are presented at the spring conference, usually the fourth Monday in April.

Newspapers may also receive a mini-evaluation in the fall – no rating, just feedback about weaknesses to improve and strengths to build on the remainder of the year.

Magazine and yearbook evaluations are due June 8. Awards are presented at the fall conference, usually the fourth Monday in September.

SIPA Program and Publication Evaluations

Experienced scholastic judges evaluate SIPA magazines, newspapers, yearbooks and broadcast programs. They provide valuable feedback to help staffs improve as well as award excellence according to established scholastic journalism standards.

Staffs receive a rating and certificate from the evaluation. Since SIPA has gone digital with evaluation guides, staffs receive their evaluation via email and can project the comments and critique in the classroom or publication room.

SIPA Writing Contest

SIPA offers a writing contest with more than 25 categories for members. Entries must be published between Dec. 1, 2013 and Nov. 30, 2014. The submission process has changed this year. Instead of mailing hard copies of stories, all submissions will be submitted digitally via Dropbox or Google Drive. Please read the revised instructions.

Each individual staff that enters the contest must be a SIPA member. So if the school newspaper is a SIPA member and that same school’s yearbook wants to enter in the writing contest, the yearbook must join SIPA as well. Memberships are by publications not by school or adviser.

Entries are limited to one student per category, but unlimited per staff and publication. So Jane Doe from the Columbia HS newspaper can only enter the Sports Story category once, but other Columbia HS newspaper staff members can enter the Sports Story category as well. Jane Doe can also enter other categories. Jane just can’t submit two stories in one category.

The cost of this contest is $5 per entry or 11 for $50. Entries will not be returned to the school.

Awards will be presented during the closing ceremony Sunday morning at the SIPA Convention, and first place winners will be posted online after the convention.

Categories are by publication type: broadcast script writing, literary magazine, newspaper, photo cutlines and yearbook.

Email  [email protected] with any questions.

Writing Contest Instructions and Information

Email deadline: Dec. 5

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