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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. We will be publishing a tribute to this great journalism educator in the coming days.
  • 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

IJEA Yearbook Contest


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Online Entry Form for 2024 Yearbook Contest (2023-24 Books)

Deadline for Submitting 2024 Online Entry Form:
11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024
(Please note that the deadline is one month earlier than in previous years)

Postmark Deadline for Mailing 2023-24 Books:
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024
(Please note that the deadline is one month earlier than in previous years)

 


HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST


The 2024 competition will honor yearbooks covering the 2023-24 school year. To enter, follow these steps:

(1) Fill out and submit the online entry form by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. The entry form link will remain live until the Oct. 15 deadline.

(2) Mail your 2023-24 yearbook to this address (no need to include anything other than your book):

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

The postmark deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

(3) Make sure you are an IJEA member for 2024-25. Information about yearly and lifetime memberships is available here and also below in the section titled “IJEA Membership.” The 2024-25 membership form is now available in both online and fillable PDF versions.

(4) Send all necessary fees (yearly or lifetime membership fee if you’re not a member; $20 contest fee; $5 optional book return) to our treasurer:

Susan Bookless, IJEA Treasurer
11420 West Chetlain Lane
Galena, IL 61036

Fee payments should be made out to “Illinois Journalism Education Association.” Please note that unless you are a lifetime member, your 2023-24 IJEA membership expired on June 30, 2024, and you will need to renew for 2024-25.

 


OTHER IMPORTANT CONTEST INFORMATION — PLEASE READ


(1) The books will be judged in eight individual categories. Click the links below to see the judging criteria for each category:

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

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

(4) 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].

(5) All yearbook advisers participating in the 2024 contest must be IJEA members for 2024-25. Unless you are a lifetime member, your 2023-24 IJEA membership expired on June 30, 2024, and you will need to renew for 2024-25. If you are not yet a 2024-25 member, please see the information located directly below (“IJEA Membership”).

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

 


IJEA Membership


In order to enter their students into this contest, advisers must be members of IJEA at the time they submit their book and entry form. Membership dues are $25 per year or $250 lifetime.

To join IJEA, complete and submit our 2024-25 online membership form OR our 2024-25 fillable PDF membership form. In either case, mail your yearly or lifetime membership fee to:

Susan Bookless, IJEA Treasurer
11420 West Chetlain Lane
Galena, IL 61036

All necessary payment instructions are included in both the online and PDF membership forms. For more information about IJEA membership, click here.

 


Enrollment Divisions


Schools that enter the yearbook contest are assigned to a division based on enrollment. Because school enrollments change annually, division specifications also change from year to year.

 


Previous Winners Since 2010


Congratulations to all of our winning publication staffs and advisers over the years! Our contest is dedicated to recognizing the hard work and dedication you put into telling the stories of your schools.

 


2023 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2022-23 school year


2022 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2021-22 school year


2021 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2020-21 school year


2020 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2019-20 school year


• 2019 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2018-19 school year


• 2018 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2017-18 school year


• 2017 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2016-17 school year


• 2016 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2015-16 school year


• 2015 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2014-15 school year


• 2014 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2013-14 school year


• 2013 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2012-13 school year


• 2012 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2011-12 school year


• 2011 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2010-11 school year


• 2010 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2009-10 school year


 

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IJEA Yearbook Contest