HANDS-ON JOURNALISM TRAINING NEAR YOU: SRL SPRING 2026 EVENTS RECAP
April 24, 2026
By: Anthony Payne
As the snow thaws and the sweaters go back in storage, the travel bug returns with a vengeance: it’s no different for Student Reporting Labs. We’ve had a running start this spring, hitting as many workshops, conferences, and school visits as possible. For a glimpse of what you may have missed – or some inspo for next year’s calendar – here’s a recap of some of the events the SRL team attended and led this spring season, featuring the tips and resources we shared in person.
Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association Conference – March 1
SRL Ambassador Julie Tiedens represented the SRL Team in Wisconsin for WEMTA’s annual conference, which brings together current, future and past educators to share knowledge of library, technology, coaching and best practice topics. Julie’s workshop demonstrated how StoryMaker leveled-up her journalism students, in the hopes that attendees bring what they learned back to their schools for other teachers to create new programs or upgrade what they’re already doing.
Connect with Julie and other SRL educators in the Community Commons, a free space for new and veteran teachers to ask questions and swap insights!
NYC College Media Association Convention – March 4-6
The College Media Association’s Spring convention attracts advisors and student journalists from all over to meet in NYC and convene with media outlets, experience newsroom tours, and explore new opportunities – like with SRL! Though SRL is primarily a high school training program, we have rolling opportunities for college students to get involved. Our breakout session highlighted these opportunities – including On Our Minds and story pitches during the school year – and offered a crash course on how to perfect your story pitch. Bonus pitching tips here!
American Collegiate Press Association in San Francisco– March 5-7
College students who stopped by SRL’s session at the American Collegiate Press Association in San Francisco got a sample of how to work with us and tell captivating audio and visual stories. We met a lot of awesome students here – many who were newsroom leaders at their schools and expressed interest in using StoryMaker to teach journalism basics to rookies on staff who are learning new mediums outside of print.
Civic Learning Week National Forum – March 9-10 
iCivics is all about bringing civic engagement to the classroom and teaching the next generation to be involved in bettering their community. Journalism offers one avenue for students to understand what it means to be an active citizen. Alongside WHYY, we co-hosted interactive mobile journalism workshops for both students and educators, including hands-on practice with mics and tripods. You can find more mobile journalism tips on StoryMaker, and when you’re ready, submit your stories to be featured on SRL’s social media.
SXSW EDU – March 9-12
On a mission to “keep it weird,” we traveled to Austin, Texas for SXSW EDU, an annual conference of teachers, professionals, and organizations all interested in shaping the future of education. We were joined by students from the Austin ISD school district, as well as our On Our Minds: Road Trip hosts Zack and Helena. We led a workshop with the Listening Post Collective, filmed interviews with guest speakers like Red White and Royal Blue author Casey McQuiston, and filmed a live episode of On Our Minds featuring Austin students. It was a packed and fruitful trip: check out the full SXSW/ATX debrief here.
I2i Future Ready Conference – March 11-12
i2i’s Future Ready Conference is a career fair for high school students in Fairfax, VA and surrounding areas. Our booth focused on broadcast journalism and content creation, with the goal of demystifying digital storytelling. One of the most common questions we get is “How do I get started?” The answer: get started! The best thing you can do is pick up the equipment and try things out. To illustrate that, we invited students to film and answer short prompts on camera to get experience right there and get a sense of what it’s like to be on and off camera: it comes more naturally than you’d think!
UMD J-DAY – March 27
J-Day 2026 at the University of Maryland is an all-day student journalism conference for over 600 high schoolers in newspaper, yearbook, and broadcast, along with their advisers. We led a session titled Mastering Mobile Journalism Through 90-Second Stories, focused on setting clear goals and defining your audience. When you come to an SRL workshop, you’re going to do something hands-on. Students shot micro-stories in the room, and got a practical introduction to intentional production choices that can strengthen short-form journalism.
FSPA Spring Convention – April 10
Our session at the FSPA Spring Convention in Orlando was all about the art of the interview. SRL’s Director of Youth Programming led students through preparing your interviewee and making them feel comfortable, writing open-ended questions that yield juicy answers, and practicing active listening. One of the biggest tips we can offer: know what soundbites you’re seeking out,, and be open to the conversation taking you somewhere you didn’t expect. We had students craft one great question they could ask someone in the room to get not just an answer, but a story.
As the school year comes to a close, this is a reminder that open calls for stories in the 2026-27 school year will open in August! We typically look for short vertical video stories for social media, Rapid Responses on breaking news, segments for On Our Minds, and broadcast-style deep dives. Stay tuned for updates by following SRL on Instagram and subscribing to our newsletter!