• Journalism educators! Join IJEA today! Annual memberships for 2025-26 and lifetime memberships are available. Use our online form or fillable PDF to join!
  • Yearbook advisers! We are now accepting entries for the 2025 IJEA Yearbook Contest! The postmark deadline is Oct. 15, 2025, for books that cover 2024-25 school year.
  • Congratulations to IJEA member schools Huntley H.S. and Prospect H.S. on co-winning the IHSA journalism state title! The schools tied for 1st place at the IHSA finals April 25 in Normal.
  • Congratulations to IJEA Executive Director Linda Jones on receiving the national JEA's Lifetime Achievement Award! She was honored at the 2025 Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
  • Congratulations to IJEA member Leslie Fireman, journalism adviser at West Chicago High School, on winning the national JEA's Rising Star Award! She was honored at the 2024 Fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia.
  • Congratulations to IJEA Hall of Fame member Stan Zoller, MJE, on being the inaugural winner of the National JEA's Candace and John Bowen Adviser First Amendment Leadership Award! He was honored at the 2024 Fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia.
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, 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...

Attendees gather in the Illini Union during the start of the IJEA Fall Conference on Sept. 16.

2016 IJEA Fall Conference in Review: Empowered staffs, empowered advisers

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member • September 19, 2016

With more than 320 Illinois high school journalists and their advisers in attendance this year, the 2016 IJEA Fall Conference is now in the books, or yearbooks, as the case may be. Students were...

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...

Video: Here’s what’s so great about the IJEA All-State Journalism Team. Now go for it!

By Dave Porreca, IJEA Website Editor • September 14, 2015
Michael Geheren, a member of the IJEA All-State Journalism Team in 2012 and 2013, talks about why students should enter the competition and why advisers should nominate their MVPs.

Video: Watch Janet Levin’s acceptance speech for the 2015 James A. Tidwell Award

By Dave Porreca, IJEA Website Editor • May 4, 2015
The longtime Hersey High newspaper adviser was honored May 1 at the IHSA state final, and she had some insights and advice for her peers.

Video: Mike Doyle reflects on career as he accepts 2014 James A. Tidwell Award

May 16, 2014
The Belvidere fixture is retiring after 15 years of working with high school journalists — and fittingly he's the recipient of IJEA's highest teaching award .

Video: Press on! Film critic Dann Gire honored as 2013 Friend of Scholastic Journalism

September 15, 2013

URBANA — Dann Gire, film critic for the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, was named the 2013 Friend of Scholastic Journalism by the IJEA Sept. 13 at the Colonial Room of the Illini Union on the campus...

Video: Top 10 great things about advising from Educator of the Year Laurie Bielong

April 29, 2013

CHARLESTON — Belleville West newspaper adviser Laurie Bielong, along with sound effects, gave a fantastic acceptance speech for the 2013 Illinois Scholastic Journalism Educator of the Year award at the...

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