A decision last month by the Hoosier State Press Association's Board of Directors added "new life" to a program that has served more than 60 advisers since 1993.

The IHSPA's teacher internship program places advisers in the newsrooms of their local newspapers for four weeks. The highly successful program, which pays teachers $350 a week, has attracted at least two advisers each year. However, tightening news budgets made it increasingly difficult to match up interested advisers and local media.

Through the efforts of Karen Braeckel, the director of member services at HSPA, the Board of Directors decided to pay the newspaper's part of five internships, a commitment of $3,500 annually. Braeckel, a former education liaison with the Indianapolis Star, said the board "believes in the program" and wants to support it.

Since 1993, each internships has been a financial partnership between the newspaper and the IHSPA. The IHSPA and the participating newspaper commited $700 to each intern. With HSPA's gift, five newspapers can provide a month-long internship without concern about their budget. The IHSPA would continue to provide a $700 stipend for each internship.

Because of the gift, the deadline for internships is extended to May 15. Those considering internships include Jamie Goodwin, adviser at Covenant Christian H.S. in Indianapolis; Rita Whitman, adviser at North Side H.S. in Fort Wayne; Kirby Volz, adviser at Elmhurst H.S. also in Fort Wayne, and Brenda Schindler, adviser at Martinsville H.S. Goodwin plans to intern with the Kokomo Tribune. Whitman and Volz will spend their month with the Fort Journal Gazette and Schindler will work at the Bloomington Herald Times.