Interscholastic League Press Conference
(ILPC)

Goals and Aims

• To emphasize journalistic writing and coverage in student publications as a means of teaching higher order thinking skills in students.
• To maintain the student press as an instrument published by students, for students, and containing news of student activities.
• To emphasize the journalistic integrity of student publications and to discourage the use of student publications for purely public relations, "happy news" functions.
• To protect student publications from propagandists, faddists and those who would use it for self-promotion and self-advancement.
• To promote scholastic journalism as an avocation for the majority and to emphasize its vocational aspects with care and discrimination.
• To conduct contests, seminars, conventions and workshops with the intention of stimulating greater efforts from students and advisers to produce quality publications - not as an end in itself but as a means in educational development.
• To reward and promote excellence as an incentive to higher standards of journalistic and educational endeavor.

Association Services

• Ratings:
  Student publications are judged and assigned ratings by publications specialists. Our judges are master teachers who have advised award-winning publications and who know the nuances of student publications. Certificates are presently given to those publications which earn the following ratings:
  • Award of Distinguished Merit - The association's highest rating.
  • Award of Achievement - The association's second-highest rating.
  • Award of Honor - Awards superior efforts in student publications.
  • Award of Merit - Recognizes service and devotion to scholastic journalism.
• Top publications:
  The top publications are also entered into competition for ILPC's prestigious Gold, Silver and Bronze Star awards. Recipients of the Star Awards represent the top 10 percent of student newspapers and yearbooks in Texas.
• Individual Achievement Awards:
  Students may submit entries ranging from news writing to sports photography to yearbook theme development. The competition is keen, and the champions represent the nation's finest scholastic journalism.
• Awards to advisers:
  Each spring ILPC recognizes advisers who have made significant contributions to Texas scholastic journalism by awarding them its "Edith Fox King Award." Recipients may be advisers, college professors, persons in the publishing or journalistic professions, and others deemed worthy of such recognition. Also, ILPC recognizes one adviser as the recipient of its "Max R. Haddick Teacher of the Year Award." Dr. Haddick served as ILPC director from 1960-1978.
• Spring convention:
  Each year, more than 1,100 students and advisers attend the spring convention at UT-Austin. The convention showcases more than 100 instructional sessions on professional development, legal issues, trends in the field, journalism skills, careers, and job-related problems. Speakers are experienced advisers, professional journalists and university professors. The convention is highlighted by the announcement of the Star Award recipients and the Texas high school journalism teacher of the year.
• Summer workshop:
  Since 1982 ILPC has hosted one of the nation's finest summer newspaper, yearbook, desktop publishing and photography workshops. Every year about 500 students and advisers attend the four-day, intensive workshop, making it one of the nation's largest. The workshop is held in June every year on the University of Texas at Austin campus.
• Personal consultations:
  The ILPC office provides members with information upon request. ILPC also serves as a clearinghouse for information regarding the scholastic journalism job market.
• Professional rapport:
  ILPC provides a forum and opportunity for advisers to meet and associate with other professional journalism teachers, to broaden interests and perspectives, and to grow professionally.