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  • It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Sarah Doerner, IJEA’s longest-serving president. Sarah died Nov. 29 in Du Quoin at the age of 86. Services were held Dec. 7. See below for our tribute to this great journalism educator.
  • High school seniors! Get your portfolios ready for the 2025 Illinois Journalist of the Year Contest! Entries will be due Feb. 15.
  • The winners of the 2024 IJEA Yearbook Contest have been announced! Check out our article below for the full listing of honorees!
  • A big thank you to everyone who attended our 2024 Fall Conference, which took place Sept. 20 at Illinois State University. The sessions were amazing! Thank you to all of our presenters!
  • Advisers! Join IJEA today! Annual memberships and lifetime memberships are available. Use our online form or fillable PDF to join!
Illinois Journalism Education Association, 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois JEA

Illinois Journalism Education Association, 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois JEA

Illinois Journalism Education Association, 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois JEA

Brenda Field, MJE, is celebrated by her yearbook staff after receiving the news that she was named the 2017 JEA Yearbook Adviser of the Year. (Photo by Kelly Glasscock)

JEA names Field as 2017 Yearbook Adviser of the Year

Journalism Education Association February 1, 2018

The article originally appeared on the Journalism Education Association website. The Journalism Education Association has selected Brenda Field, MJE, of Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois,...

Advisers gather together after a luncheon at the 2017 IJEA Fall Conference.

Holley-Bruns, Doerner receive IJEA honors for their service

By Amanda C. Bright, Co-Secretary and At-Large Board Member September 18, 2017

For one, it was her final year directing the IJEA Fall Conference at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. For the other, it was a lifetime of service as past president of the Illinois Journalism...

Brenda Field, Glenbrook South High School yearbook adviser and state director for the Illinois JEA, presents a "Fly the J" rally towel to each adviser at the IHSA State Journalism competition at Eastern Illinois University. Field's allegory on the improbable 2016 win for the Cubs was linked with the passage of New Voices legislation in Illinois, for which she thanked and encouraged advisers.

Brenda Field receives 2017 James A. Tidwell Award for Excellence in Scholastic Media Education

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member May 12, 2017
The Glenbrook South High School yearbook adviser and state director for the IJEA encourages advisers to "Fly the J" as a reference to her beloved Cubs and scholastic press freedom in Illinois

IJEA inducts Stan Zoller, Brenda Field into 2017 Hall of Fame

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member May 12, 2017

Cathy Wall, herself a member of the IJEA Hall of Fame, inducted Stan Zoller and Brenda Field into the 2017 class of the IJEA Hall of Fame during the IHSA State Journalism Competition at Eastern Illinois...

IJEA honors Linda Jones as 2016 Friend of Scholastic Journalism

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member September 29, 2016

In accepting the Friend of Scholastic Journalism award, Linda Jones spoke of everyone -- except herself. From the McCormick Foundation to the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago advisers, Jones...

Cathy Wall receives 2016 James A. Tidwell Award for Excellence in Scholastic Media Education

Cathy Wall receives 2016 James A. Tidwell Award for Excellence in Scholastic Media Education

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member May 4, 2016

Harrisburg High School journalism adviser Cathy Wall was pragmatic in her advice to a room packed with other publications teachers from throughout Illinois. Pull other advisers into the Illinois journalism...

Students from only five other states earned more JEA Write-off awards than Illinois student journalists did at last week's JEA/NSPA  Convention in Orlando, Fla. (Creative Commons photo)

Illinois students take home sixth-largest number of awards at Fall 2015 JEA Write-offs

By Dave Porreca, IJEA Website Editor November 18, 2015
There's probably no type of contest that better simulates the deadline conditions of real journalism than a write-off competition. No wonder the JEA Write-offs in Orlando attracted more than 2,000 participants. And Illinois students were right in the thick of things.
Janet Levin, who has advised The Correspondent newspaper at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights for 30 years, receives the news that she has won the IJEA's highest honor for a journalism educator: the James A Tidwell Award.

Hersey adviser Janet Levin receives honor

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Board Member April 17, 2015
The long-time journalism educator has earned the 2015 James A. Tidwell Award for Excellence in Scholastic Media Education.

Bielong named Illinois Scholastic Journalism Educator of the Year

April 11, 2013

Laurie Bielong, longtime adviser of the Hy News at Belleville West, was surprised Wednesday, April 10, at a faculty meeting by being named IJEA's 2013 Illinois Scholastic Journalism Educator of the Year. Carol...

Karen Waldron honored as Friend of Scholastic Journalism

September 24, 2012

Karen Waldron, longtime administrative aide at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and SISPA and IHSA coordinator, was honored Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, as IJEA's Friend of Scholastic Journalism. Waldron,...

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