5 skills students learned at the 2015 NSPA summer workshop

In a few weeks, some of the top high school journalists in the country will convene in Minneapolis for the National Scholastic Press Association summer workshop — “Storytelling: The Complete Package.” With a focus on new media and multimedia storytelling, this year’s workshop will teach students crucial skills in the changing journalism landscape.

Curious about what that means? Here are some skills students picked up last year, in their own words.

1. How to cover breaking news — as it’s breaking

Students had the opportunity to cover Aquatennial, a summer celebration of Minneapolis. They flooded Twitter with information, using eye-catching photos, relevant hashtags and straightforward captions.

2. How to transform any image with Photoshop

Photoshop skills might not be used in traditional news coverage, but it’s an excellent way to add a striking visual element.

Beyond artistic editing, students learned how to transform a profile.

3. What leadership looks like

Student editors were given the responsibility of coordinating a team — but they had advisors to lean on, too.

And, of course, leadership doesn’t have to be all work.

4. How to handle deadlines

With just the weekend to create comprehensive event coverage, students got straight to work …

… and made sure to get plenty of rest to stay energized.

5. The most relevant social media platforms

Without Facebook as the go-to network, students brainstormed other ways to tell stories through social media.

To see how they put all this knowledge to work, check out the students’ final project — we think it’s pretty impressive. And if you can’t wait to learn even more this summer, sign up for the convention here.

The workshop will be held July 28-31 in Minneapolis. Students will be grouped into teams of reporters, editors, photographers and designers, and will create a complete story package that will be published by a Twin Cities media outlet.