IJEA, founded in 1988, is recognized as the state organization in Illinois that serves to assist scholastic journalism teachers and media advisers in promoting high standards in scholastic media and to elevate the status of scholastic media programs in secondary schools across the state. IJEA is headquartered in the Department of Journalism at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The IJEA executive director is Dr. Sally Renaud. She can be contacted by email at [email protected].