Getting Started – Basic Training
NEW! Students enrolled in any stenographic reporting program may be eligible for our $1,000 Merit Awards. Registration forms and requirements can be found here.
STENO: Try It Out (It’s Free!)
Project Steno’s Basic Training course is a free hands-on intro-to-steno course where you will learn the rudiments of machine shorthand theory. That’s the keyboard system used by professional court reporters and captioners to capture high-speed speech verbatim using a Stenograph machine. In just six sessions, you’ll discover how the magic is done!
Register for Basic Training today (at green box) and you’ll get an email outlining the upcoming session dates. Pick one that suits your schedule and enroll. It’s free! The only investment required is your time. If you don’t have a steno machine to use, ask us for options.
Is a career in court reporting or captioning right for you? This free introductory course will answer that question for you.
Questions about the profession? Inquire at BasicTraining@ProjectSteno.org.
The Details
In just six class sessions, plus practice at home, you’ll become familiar with the steno keyboard and learn to write simple words in machine shorthand. Are you a whiz at texting? Excellent! You’ll love it! By taking this hands-on course, you’ll find out if a career in court reporting or captioning appeals to you. You’ll know whether you like it and have the aptitude for it.
If it’s right for you, great! We’ll help you enroll in a steno school. Don’t think it’s your cup of tea? Okay, now you’ll know – and you’ll figure it out with no financial commitment and minimal investment of time.
Why do court reporters and captioners love our profession? Read here.
(Watch TV news segment about court reporting or listen to podcast)
Enroll in Steno School
You’ve completed Project Steno’s Basic Training course, you’ve discovered this is for you – now it’s time to enroll in school. There are some bricks-and-mortar schools (not many) and many more online schools. We will help you find the right school for your circumstances.
The right program, the right student – the right outcome. We want you to succeed!
Here is our list of schools/programs that teach stenographic court reporting and captioning. Let us know if we’ve missed any!
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Anoka Technical College (MN)
Clark State College (OH)
College of Court Reporting (Valparaiso, IN)
Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
Des Moines Area Community College (IA)
Lakeshore Technical College (WI)
Lake Land College (IL)
MacCormac College (IL)
Macomb Community College (MI)
Stark State College (OH)
South Suburban College (Oak Forest, IL)
Southwest
West
South Coast College (Orange, CA)
College of Marin/Indian Valley Campus (Novato, CA)
Cypress College Court Reporting (Cypress, CA)
Downey Adult School/CRP (Downey, CA)
Taft College Court Reporting at WESTEC campus (Shafter, CA)
West Valley Community College (Saratoga, CA)
Court Reporting Program (Saratoga, CA)
Green River College (WA)
Tri-Community Adult Education (Covina, CA)
Humphreys University (Stockton, CA)
Want to Learn More about Basic Training?
Basic Training is a free program, sponsored by Project Steno, that lets you learn the basics of court reporting over six sessions. Complete the form below to receive upcoming session dates and information.
Basic (Steno) Training introduces candidates to the many career options available to today’s court reporting and captioning professionals. The program meets once a week for a hands-on opportunity to learn the basics of steno theory in a virtual classroom environment — a first step before entering a two-year educational program. All course materials will be provided at no charge. (If you don’t have a steno machine to use, ask us for options.)
Basic Training offers a self-selection opportunity that helps one answer some important questions. Is stenographic reporting the right career for me? Do I have the interest, natural dexterity, grammar skills, motivation and discipline required to complete the next two years of school? If the answer is Yes, Project Steno will connect candidates with the right school or program for them.
Getting your feet wet — trying out the stenographic reporting profession before committing to the time and investment of court reporting school — is a major component of Project Steno’s plan.
Project Steno’s Basic Training is a free program that meets for a couple of hours once a week. Learning the basics of stenographic reporting will help you make an informed decision about this career before you enroll in school.
After completion of your intro program, selection of a court reporting school is the next step. The Project Steno team will help you find the right program to meet your needs.