You don't have to wait for the fall season of Ad Club, PRSA and other professional organizations. The Poynter Institute makes learning a year-round activity, thanks to News University, an online training program for journalists.

Sample courses include: Writing Better Headlines, Multimedia Reporting: Covering Breaking News, Handling Race and Ethnicity, Handling Horrible Images and Math For Journalists. There's even a Cool Links section you can explore for more options.

I plan to complete a few courses by August. If you sign up, too, please tell me what your experience is like.