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General
Information About KEMPA
The
Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA) was founded in the early 1970’s
with the singular goal of providing programs to enhance and promote scholastic
journalism.
Dr. Richard Nelson, past professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UW-W), had the vision and founded the organization. His responsibility at UW-W involved teaching future journalism teacher/advisers, and he saw the need for them to network beyond graduation when they got into the so-called “real” world.
Members of KEMPA include junior/middle and senior high school publications, teachers/advisers, professional journalists, publications and individuals interested in the group’s mission.
A board of directors, elected annually, sets policy and oversees the activities of the corporation. They employ an executive director and elect, from the Board, officers including a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Two Board members serve as co-directors of the fall conference. Two serve as coordinators of the Winter Advisers’ Seminar, and one Board member acts as director of the KEMPA Summer Journalism Workshop. The annual meeting of the corporation is held at the luncheon during the fall conference at UW-W.
Each year the Board of Directors meets for a one-day planning and re-organization session in November. Other meetings are scheduled, usually in February, April, July and September. Most of these meetings are held at the UW-W Continuing Education Department in the Roseman building. All meetings are open to all members.
Benefits of membership in the organization include an evaluation of a member's publication; a reduced rate for the fall conference; the association newsletter, KEMPA Update; an opportunity for students to compete for KEMPA scholarship funds; and the Hotline (people in the organization that members can contact with problems).
Membership is not mandatory for advisers to attend the KEMPA-sponsored Winter Advisers’ Seminar or for students to attend the Summer Journalism Workshops. Those events, however, are designed to promote KEMPA’s goals.