The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and its affiliate for teachers, the Columbia Scholastic Press Advisers Association, offer awards to celebrate contributions by distinguished people in education, the media, and public life. These awards are given in recognition of assistance and encouragement to student editors and faculty advisers working with them on student newspapers, magazines, yearbooks and online media in schools and colleges.

To find awards for student print or online media, please click here.

Joseph M. Murphy Award
The Joseph M. Murphy Award is given by the CSPA for outstanding service to the Association over many years. Named for the CSPA’s founding director, the Murphy Award is generally given only once per year.

More information about Joseph M. Murphy can be found here.

Charles R. O’Malley Award
The Charles R. O’Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching is given by the Association for sustained achievement by a teacher of student editors or faculty advisers.

The  O'Malley Award is named for the CSPA’s second director and honors his generous service to the student press and to Columbia University, his alma mater.

This award recognizes “a sustained record of outstanding teaching” in support of student journalism or student publishing. It is intended to be the CSPA’s highest accolade in support of the core function of teaching as related to student-practiced journalism.

Suggestions for suitable candidates should be emailed to the CSPA director, at cspa [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu. There is no formal nomination process.

The O'Malley Award is discretionary. If presented, it is given at the Association's annual Spring Convention in March at Columbia University.

More information about Charles R. O’Malley can be found here.

The Gold Key Award
Through their contributions to CSPA, Gold Key recipients have demonstrated their support for excellence in teaching journalism and in student press advising.

James F. Paschal Award
The CSPAA honors state or regional school press association officials who have distinguished themselves in the field with an award named for the late James Frederick Paschal.

Edmund J. Sullivan Award
The Edmund J. Sullivan Award recognizes student editors who pursue innovative ways to present the truth on behalf of their audiences. The award may be given to a single student or a group of students.

More information about Edmund J. Sullivan can be found here.

National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year
Each year, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, along with the Dow Jones News Fund selects one awardee based on their work during the previous academic year.