VAJTA

19/07/2023

Check out the great work students at are doing this week in Harrisonburg. https://vajta.org/category/jcamp/jcamp2023/

15/06/2023

Deadline extended! Share this opportunity with your students - it’s phenomenal training for a crucial project.

https://splc.org/new-voices-student-leadership-institute/?fbclid=IwAR0KMQ6BYrR2pca2yiiEtq6j5qvKYdKy3Mgmc1RLq-WVxcV--g1sUhkkiqc_aem_th_Af28PANwnv3Nl_nlv5QuQMvAIAxg4bzh8c96UT-HY3OjXBhuM9RYjGY-dG6ToUo6bTA&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

The New Voices Student Leaders Institute is a free program for students to develop their organizing skills and grow as leaders within the New Voices movement.

01/04/2023

TODAY IS THE DAY! Lock in your jCamp registration early to save $50. tinyurl.com/2023jCampEarly

29/03/2023

Lock in your registration by April 1 to save $50! Click here to register: https://tinyurl.com/jCampSavings2023

Photo by Bradley Wilson

28/03/2023

Our line-up of instructors is the best in the business. Not only will you learn about photography, videography, writing, design, law and ethics, social media/digital journalism, and more, you’ll work in teams to put what you’ve learned into practice with the help of these mentors. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScno8BhJX0SupvkhaG5wT8_pkpKGu-snss8csewl2S74KSjkA/viewform

27/03/2023

Are you a journalism student or adviser that would love to learn about your craft from some of the best instructors in the nation? Then register today for jCamp 20223—a five-day, in-person workshop like nothing else in the state. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScno8BhJX0SupvkhaG5wT8_pkpKGu-snss8csewl2S74KSjkA/viewform

07/01/2023

It's been a few years, but we're proud to announce the return of jRetreat, our annual IN-PERSON winter retreat for journalism teachers and advisers!

Whether you are a new or returning adviser, and no matter what kind of publications you advise, we invite you to join us Feb. 17-19 in historic Petersburg, VA for a weekend of learning, sharing and re-energizing.

Sports journalist Wayne Epps, Jr. and VSU assistant professor Chris Waugaman will be our Experts in Residence this year as they lead us on an exploration of sports coverage.

Our main event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the VSU Multi-Purpose Center. After the workshop, advisers are invited to join us for dinner at Trapezium Brewing, followed by an evening social.

Attendees arriving Friday night are also invited to a 7 p.m. dinner at Maria's Old Town 21. And if you're staying through Sunday, you're welcome to join us for breakfast that morning at Demolition Coffee, where the VAJTA Board will be holding its winter meeting.

Saturday's workshop costs $25 for JEA/VAJTA members and $35 for non-members. (Attendees are responsible for meals and lodging.)

Visit https://vajta.org/jretreat2023 for more details and a registration link.

We hope to see you and reconnect soon in Petersburg!

08/03/2022

Are you a journalism student or adviser that would love to learn about your craft from some of the best instructors in the nation? Then register today for jCamp 2022—a five-day, in-person workshop like nothing else in the state. While at camp, you won’t just sit in a classroom hearing about jour...

02/03/2022

[WINNER] Anuj Khemka, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Following the boys' varsity basketball game against Justice High School, tjTODAY print editor-in-chief Anuj Khemka interviews coach Mark Gray-Mendes about the match.

02/03/2022

[SECOND PLACE] Aleena Gul, McLean High School

Aleena Gul, Editor-in-Chief of The Highlander, helps Nyla Marcott with her article on school vaping.Gul balances her time as an Editor-in-Chief between reporting and mentoring staff members.

02/03/2022

[THIRD PLACE] Maya Waid, Harrisonburg High School.

Maya Waid, HHS Media Editor-in-Chief, helps freshman staff reporter Jiayi Li upload a dance performance photo gallery to the website.

02/03/2022

STAY TUNED. A little more than an hour before our announcement!

01/03/2022

15/02/2022

Students and advisers of all experience levels are invited to attend jCamp, Virginia's premier summer journalism workshop.

Located at James Madison University and taught by some of the best instructors in the nation, this five-day, in-person program is all about giving attendees the the tools they need to create dynamic, successful publications in the year ahead.

This year's camp will run from July 17 to July 21.

Early-bird pricing is available until April 1! Visit the link below for more information.

Are you a journalism student or adviser that would love to learn about your craft from some of the best instructors in the nation? Then register today for jCamp 2022—a five-day, in-person workshop like nothing else in the state. While at camp, you won’t just sit in a classroom hearing about jour...

03/02/2022

15/11/2021

Thanks to popular demand, we're brining back the VAJTA Thursday Night Zoom Hang-Out. We'll have our first meet-up this Thursday at 5 p.m. If you haven't already received the invitation, fill out the form at https://tinyurl.com/VJTMU to get added to our mailing list. We look forward to seeing you!

01/10/2021

Have you registered yet for the VHSL Media Championships?

Co-sponsored by VAJTA, this year’s event is fully virtual and costs just $50 per school, which means it’s easier than ever to take advantage of this great opportunity to inspire and celebrate student journalism!

“Zoom in” with your students on October 16 for presentations from professional journalists and writers, interactive roundtables, and a selection of live sessions with scholastic journalism experts across the state and country.

VHSL’s Trophy Class and First Class recipients will also be announced, along with results from the annual multimedia competition.

Learn more, and download a registration form, using the link below. The deadline to register is Oct. 8, so don’t delay!

Finding ways to teach and support a school publication takes time and energy, but there’s no need to do it alone — even amid the continuing pandemic! “Zoom in” on Oct. 16 as we celebrate and inspire student journalists from across the state at Virginia’s first-ever virtual Media Championsh...

31/08/2021

Congratulations to Virginia's own Valerie Kibler! As Meghan Percival puts it in the press release below, "In every sense of the word, Valerie Kibler is a champion of scholastic journalism students and advisers." All of us here in Virginia -- and indeed advisers across the country -- have been lucky to have her working on our behalf and pushing us and our students to be our best.

“She might claim otherwise ... but the truth is few people sacrifice as much as Val does to make scholastic journalism better," JEA Global Engagement Director Kelly Furnas, MJE, said of the 2021 Carl Towley Award recipient. "She works countless hours, calls in all sorts of favors, travels wherever she’s needed in order to make good ideas succeed.”
Congratulations Valerie Kibler, MJE, of Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School!
Read more: http://jea.org/wp/blog/2021/08/31/kibler-to-receive-carl-towley-award-jeas-highest-honor/

Val Kibler Harrisonburg City Public Schools HHS Media VAJTA

12/03/2021

Congratulations to our Virginia colleagues Lindsay Benedict, Abrianna Nelson and Steven Denlinger, who were all recognized as part of this year's National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Awards program.

Benedict and Nelson were named Distinguished Advisers, and Denlinger was named a Special Recognition Adviser as part of today's announcement by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

These three honorees -- along with High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Ray Westbrook of Texas -- were among nine advisers nationwide to receive recognition.

Thank you for all the work each of you do to make Virginia an incredible place for student journalists to learn and thrive!

Three Virginia advisers were recognized today by the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Awards program. Lindsay Benedict of McLean High School (McLean, VA) and Abrianna Nelson of Washington-Liberty High School (Arlington, VA) were both named Distinguished Advisers while Steven Denli...

06/03/2021

Congratulations to our third place winner in the 2021 Virginia Journalist of the Year contest, Holly Bill!

05/03/2021

Congratulations to our second place winner in the 2021 Virginia Journalist of the Year contest, Pratika Katiyar! tjTODAY

05/03/2021

Congratulations to McLean High School’s Marina Qu for being named the 2021 Virginia Journalist of the Year!

08/12/2020

Congratulations to all the staffs and their advisers! Virginia is representing!

Please join us for this Thursday's adviser hangout to celebrate our finalists. For the full list of Virginia Finalists check out our homepage - bit.ly/12VACrowns

03/12/2020

TGIThursday! We can't wait to see you tonight! If you've signed up before - check your email!
Please join us. Whether you need a problem solved, a place to vent, or a new wine recommendation - we got you.
Fill out the form at https://tinyurl.com/VJTMU to get the Zoom link sent to you. You only need to register once to be on the list all year!

24/11/2020

What are we thankful for? The phenomenal network of journalism teachers and advisers that have reached out to support and encourage one another in the middle of a bonanza of pivoting, adapting, realigning, zooming, mandates, and new mandates. Oh. And publication deadlines.

You are all amazing.
So treat yourself. Grab a video from our collection of experts and let them teach your class for the day.
https://airtable.com/shrXjAbF2kA6O3Gor/tblR0O8cPM7A0su0I/viwMxpHLR2dt8UXy5

Airtable is a low-code platform for building collaborative apps. Customize your workflow, collaborate, and achieve ambitious outcomes. Get started for free.

06/10/2020

I'm pretty sure today is already Thursday, but my calendar says I need to wait two more days for the weekly Thursday Night Chat with VA journalism teachers and advisers.

Please join us. Whether you need a problem solved, a place to vent, or a new wine recommendation - we got you.

Fill out the form at https://tinyurl.com/VJTMU to get the oom link the day of. You only need to register once to be on the list all year!

30/09/2020

Our digital resource library now features over 100 videos from scholastic journalism experts across the country. Looking for inspiration? An introduction or refresher? An asynchronous activity for your students? No matter your publication type, check out the Multimedia Championship Digital Resources for lessons, ideas, and more!

COVID-19 may have limited our schools’ ability to attend physical workshops and conferences, but journalism students and their teachers need access to high-quality lessons, resources and inspiration now more than ever. The Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers, in collaboration ...

08/09/2020

Happy first day of school for those who started today! We'd love to hear how you're doing at the next Thursday Night Chat with journalism teachers and advisers. Fill out the form at https://tinyurl.com/VJTMU . You only need to register once to be on the list all year!

01/09/2020

💥 The Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers, in collaboration with the Virginia High School League, is proud to present the 2020 Multimedia Championship Digital Resources—a collection of 90+ virtual lessons from scholastic journalism experts across the country covering all aspects of student media.

Watch this video from VaJTA director Dan Reinish to learn a bit about how to use the library. Then, visit http://bit.ly/vajta2020 to start browsing!💥

The Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers, in collaboration with the Virginia High School League, is proud to present the 2020 Multimedia ...