The Long Weekend

What is The Long Weekend?

 

The Alabama Scholastic Press Association invites middle and high school students (grades 6-12) to attend its summer journalism camp, The Long Weekend, on campus in June. Students can attend with or without their media staffs and advisers.

 

The cost for the weekend is $200, which includes room and board, tuition and all meals.

 

The camp is designed to teach creative and efficient ways to communicate through scholastic newspapers, newsmagazines, yearbooks, literary magazines, broadcast programs and digital media. It allows students to enjoy a taste of college life and invigorate their interest in scholastic media.

 

The Long Weekend will feature day and evening classes to help participants gain the tools to produce prize-winning results next school year. When festivities and classes wrap up with a showcase by campers, students will have a great start on the upcoming year and will leave with a solid plan for their school newspaper, yearbook, broadcast program, website or literary magazine. If they attend the camp without a staff, they will leave with the skills they need to do great journalism in any medium.

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Unfortunately, ASPA will be unable to hold The Long Weekend in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.

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For more information on this event, regularly check aspa.ua.edu or contact ASPA Director Meredith Cummings at 205-348-ASPA or aspa@ua.edu.

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TLW 2019 Recap

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The Long Weekend, a three-day intensive residential

summer journalism camp was held in Tuscaloosa,

Alabama, June 2019.

 

Check out The Long Weekend program from 2019 to see what we are all about!

 

This year, ASPA welcomed 57 students and advisers from 23 schools:  American Christian Academy, Central Freshman

Academy, Duncanville Middle, Fairview, Glen Iris

Baptist School, Greene County HS, Hale County,

Hillcrest, UCCA homeschool, Jefferson Davis, Lee

HS, Northridge HS, Park Crossing HS, Pickens County

HS, Pike County HS, Rock Quarry Middle, Sand Rock

HS, Saraland HS, Sparkman HS, Stephens County HS,

Tuscaloosa Magnet Middle, Vestavia Hills HS, and

Wetumpka Middle.

The camp taught creative and efficient ways to
communicate through scholastic newspapers,
newsmagazines, yearbooks, literary magazines and
digital media. Campers spent part of the weekend
working in tracks: Broadcast, photography, newspaper,
multimedia, creative writing or sports journalism. The
rest of the sessions they were encouraged to try new
things, outside of their comfort zone, or brush up on
skills they felt needed strengthening. 

The Long Weekend also gave students a chance
to experience college life, tour campus, our new Digital
Media Center, and Student Media facilities. The weekend
wrapped up with presentations to parents – and each
other – on what students learned. Students divided into
teams throughout the week. Teams were a mix of middle
and high school students. They were presented with the
challenge to show, in whatever creative form they preferred,
what they had learned during the weekend. 

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TLW 2020 Recap

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The Long Weekend was a bit different this year! Due to COVID-19, the camp was held virtually. The useful sessions covered editing, sports writing, podcasting and much more! They can be found through our helpful media archive.