Calling all 2021-22 yearbooks! The 2022 IJEA Yearbook Contest is now open for entries through Nov. 15

PLEASE NOTE: The 2022 contest is now closed for entries. Thank you to all! We will begin accepting entries for the 2023 competition (2022-23 books) in May 2023, with a postmark deadline of Nov. 15, 2023. 

IJEA yearbook advisers: We are excited to announce that our 2022 Yearbook Contest, which is for books covering the 2021-22 school year, is now open for submissions.

We also want to extend our profound thanks to Dr. Sally Renaud, who served as yearbook contest coordinator for nearly two decades while working full time as a journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University. Did we also mention that Sally was IJEA’s executive director from 2005 to 2019?

But now Sally has retired, and with her retirement we will have a new mail-in home for the IJEA Yearbook Contest. Regina Dominican High School, located in Chicago suburb of Wilmette, will replace EIU as the mail-in destination for all participating yearbooks.

If you’re planning to enter the 2022 contest, here’s a summary of essential info:

(1) The new mail-in address for all 2021-22 yearbooks is:

IJEA Yearbook Contest
Regina Dominican High School
701 Locust Road
Wilmette, IL 60091

(2) As with last year’s competition, PDF entry forms will not be used. All advisers of participating publications must submit the online entry form posted here.

(3) The online entry forms are due by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022.

(4) The postmark deadline for mailing all yearbooks is Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022.

(5) The contest fee for all participating schools is $20.

(6) Payments should be made out to “Illinois Journalism Education Association” and should be mailed to:

Jenn Galloy, IJEA Treasurer
7405 Kenicott Lane
Plainfield, IL 60586

(7) As noted above, the 2022 contest will judge books covering the 2021-22 school year.

(8) The books will be judged in eight individual categories:

• Copy Writing
• Sports Coverage
• Photography
• Divider Pages
• Graphics
• Layout and Design
• Theme Development
• Coverage of the School Year

(9) Books will be separated into divisions based on school enrollment (eg., Division 1 = smallest schools). For each division, the following awards will be given to entries in each individual category: first place, second place, third place and, at the discretion of judges, honorable mention.

(10) Awards for Overall Excellence will be given to books in each enrollment division based on total points accumulated in the individual categories. Each first-place award = 5 points, second = 4 points, third = 3 points, honorable mention = 1 point.

(11) Our contest coordinators will be Dave Porreca, IJEA board member, and Linda Jones, IJEA executive director. If you have any questions concerning the entry form or the mail-in process, please contact Dave at [email protected].

(12) All participating yearbook advisers must be IJEA members for 2022-23. If you are not yet a 2022-23 member, please see the information located on our membership page.

Thank you to all participating advisers, and good luck to your students!