SPJ’s Spring Conferences are day-long professional development meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on a wealth of topics. Get available details — including dates, locations and contacts — for all 12 regions by clicking here, or use the links below to go straight to your region's conference's website (if available):

April 5, 2013:
— Region 4: Dayton, Ohio
— Region 12: Oxford, Miss.

April 12, 2013:
— Region 1: New Brunswick, N.J. | @spjr1c
— Region 6: Bloomington, Minn. | @mwjournconf
— Region 9: Santa Fe, N.M.
— Region 10: Spokane, Wash.
— Region 11: Las Vegas, Nev.

April 19, 2013: Region 2: Norfolk, Va. | @SPJVA

April 26, 2013: Regions 5 and 7: St. Louis, Mo. | @SPJinSTL2013

May 3, 2013: Region 8: San Antonio, Tex.

2012-13 campus and professional chapter annual report forms are available online.

Pro Chapters: Reports due May 6, 2013
— Guidelines and Submission Form

Campus Chapters: Reports due May 1, 2013
— Guidelines and Submission Form

If you have questions about the report, contact Tara Puckey via email or by phone at 317-927-8000 ext. 215, or contact your regional director.

SPJ believes in our chapters. So much, in fact, that during 2012-2013, chapters could receive up to $500 for an amazing program or event.

SPJ will award up to $500 to chapters with plans for unique, diverse and creative programming. Past programs focused on ethics, technology, campus crime coverage, freelancing, covering disasters, copy editing, job hunting, writing techniques, diversity and more.

Fully chartered chapters in good standing with the national organization are eligible to submit a grant proposal. In addition, chapters must have filed a 2011-2012 annual report or provided the national office with materials required for a new or reactivating chapter.

For more information and to apply, follow this link.

2012-13 Recipients: Want some inspiration? Click here to read about the programs devised so far by this year's grant recipients.

The Society of Professional Journalists is a professional organization. It is not honorary in nature, nor is it any longer a fraternity. In function and membership requirements it is concerned only with the field of journalism and the free flow of information to the public at large.

SPJ's professional chapter expansion policy establishes requirements that embrace the highest standards of professionalism. The professional chapter encourages and assists members in carrying out common objectives. It is through the chapter that individual members join in freedom of the press issues, learn of ethical problems and professional standards and enjoy fellowship of common purpose.

Before the Society's board of directors will consider chartering a new professional chapter of the Society, several requirements must be met and several steps taken. If you're interested in establishing or expanding an SPJ chapter, these guidelines will help get you started on either the professional or campus levels.

Get in touch with the Sunshine chair or chairs in your state and find FOI Centers, quotable sources, resources and more.

Related Links:
— Project Sunshine
— SPJ Local Connection: Find SPJ leaders in your area
— FOI Committee Blog
— More FOI Resources