National Scholastic Press Association has presented scholastic journalism’s preeminent award — the Pacemaker — since 1927.
The nation’s top scholastic yearbooks were recognized today by the National Scholastic Press Association, which announced 23 Varsity Yearbook schools as finalists in its annual Pacemaker competition. Pacemaker finalists will be honored and will receive plaques during a special recognition ceremony on Friday, April 25, at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
https://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Seattle-Rainier-1200x600_0.jpg6001200VARSITY YEARBOOKhttps://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Varsity_Yearbook_V-braid-1-1.pngVARSITY YEARBOOK2024-12-17 16:13:472025-05-20 10:32:29Congratulations to these NSPA Pacemakers Finalists!
Whether it’s a student government election or a larger political event, here are some tips to help you effectively cover elections in your yearbook.
Instead of just following what’s going on in the local or national news, your staff and adviser are the best judge of your school’s climate and what appropriate coverage looks like. Balance is always crucial as there are two sides — and no one should be able to tell which side the adviser/staff are on.
Cover the people not the politics.
Rather than focusing on the politicians, focus on the people in your school and their level of interest and involvement. Remember, your job as a journalist is to be objective.
Start planning your coverage ahead of time.
Discuss with your staff how elections fit into the broader narrative of the school year. Decide whether you want to focus on local elections, student government elections or even larger political events that impact your community. This will help set the tone and direction for your coverage.
Localize the voting and elections to your school community.
Here are a few ideas:
Many seniors will be 18 and eligible to vote for the first time. Ask students about their voting experience without taking sides. Were they shocked about the wait (or lack thereof)? Did they receive an “I voted.” sticker? Where did they place it?
What about the government and history teachers? Does an election year change their curriculum? How?
If your school has Young Republican or Young Democrats groups, covering both groups equally might be a way to include the topic.
Create an infographic on if students watched the debates or if they were tired of political ads (not which ones!).
Looking for photos?
National Scholastic Press Association developed a Campaign 2024 Photo Exchange. If you’re a student journalist and your school is a member of National Scholastic Press Association, you’re eligible to contribute to and download from the archive at no cost. All photos not taken by a staff photographer should be licensed and credited.
https://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/TownsCountyHighSchool_3-scaled.jpg17072560VARSITY YEARBOOKhttps://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Varsity_Yearbook_V-braid-1-1.pngVARSITY YEARBOOK2024-10-14 08:00:352024-10-14 13:17:20Covering Elections in Your Yearbook
It’s National School Picture Day! Portrait pages are a key element of any yearbook, but we know they can also be one of the most challenging sections to create. Here are some tips to streamline the process and complete portrait pages efficiently:
Plan Ahead: Successful portrait pages start with early planning. Work closely with your photographer to schedule picture days, retakes and make-up sessions well in advance.
Choose a Consistent Layout: Use eDesign’s Portrait Flow to add placeholders to plan first, then update your flows once you have the files uploaded. This helps you plan the design while you wait for the files!
Double-Check for Accuracy: Ensure all names, grades and titles are correct. Have multiple people review the pages to catch any errors or omissions. Consider creating a proofing process where students can verify their photos and information before finalizing the pages.
Incorporate More Coverage: While the traditional headshot is important, consider adding content to your spreads for better coverage. This adds variety and makes the pages more engaging.
Stay Flexible: Last-minute changes are inevitable. Stay adaptable and be ready to make adjustments as needed.
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https://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Portraits-Leilehua-HS_Wahiawa-HI.jpg9601440VARSITY YEARBOOKhttps://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Varsity_Yearbook_V-braid-1-1.pngVARSITY YEARBOOK2024-09-12 10:00:042024-09-11 16:38:06It's National School Picture Day!
Selling copies of the yearbook is the most important source of the program’s income, while selling ads is the next best source of revenue. Senior parent ads and even student friendship ads can help, but the business community often supports your school by purchasing ad space in the yearbook. It’s really a win-win relationship — their business gets exposure and your yearbook program gains necessary funds. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind before your yearbook staff sets out to sell to surrounding businesses.
1. TARGET LIST
Brainstorm the potential target list, including previous years’ advertisers. Add from the local Chamber of Commerce membership list, yearbook staffers’ contacts and acquaintances and any businesses you drive past that aren’t already on your list.
2. PLAN YOUR SELL DATES
Select dates that might provide the greatest response from local businesses. It’s not a bad idea to assign ad sales goals during the summer when school is out, and it’s an even greater feeling to go into the new school year having already sold ads and some established revenue.
3. ASSIGN SELLERS
Divide and conquer once you create a master list of potential advertisers. Assign specific businesses to specific staffers or if staffers have a personal connection to a business, or a preference to which businesses they approach, let your staff begin by calling “dibs” on those certain businesses.
4. SHOW THEM WHAT THEY’RE PAYING FOR
Bring in your product — your staff’s yearbook, of course! Bookmark great examples of all ad sizes you offer, ads that have been pre-designed, business card ads that have been scanned in and show your point person ads that your staff have created. Show them what you can do for them and their business. Find out how many books you sold last year and let them know how an ad in your yearbook will increase their business’s visibility.
5. INCLUDE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL GROUPS
Consider community groups as potential advertisers. Community service groups, non-profits and military recruiters are all potential sources of ad revenue. More ads for school groups like band and student council are appearing in books from coast to coast. Some have expanded to include AP classes and other small groups that have purchased pages.
6. OFFER PATRON ADS
Patron ads are a way to make it possible for individuals to help support the yearbook. A one line, two line or three line listing can be an inexpensive way for individuals and small businesses to be included.
7. DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW UP
Follow-up is the key to getting as many business ads as possible included in the yearbook. If the owner/manager is out when the initial sales call is made, be sure someone goes back to talk to the decision maker.
8. PROOF CAREFULLY
If you aren’t using Online Ad Creation and when the time comes, whether you’re working on ads over the summer or first thing when school starts, be sure to proof all business ads very carefully. It is best to stop by the business or send a PDF of the ad by email for approval before it is finalized.
9. COLLECT FUNDS BEFORE PRINTING
Collection of all ad revenue should be completed before ads are actually submitted to the plant. Make it clear in all communications with the advertisers that full payment needs to be made by a specified date. Leave no room for confusion — they’re busy and so are you.
10. CELEBRATE BEING AHEAD OF THE GAME
Submit the pages after careful proofing, knowing that you have a jump start on the deadline process by being able to submit income-generating pages early in the production season. Checking ads off your list and having necessary funds can pave the way for stress-free yearbook days!
For both new advisers or seasoned veterans, the first day of school probably looks a little like this: meet new students, assign seats, review the syllabus, discuss classroom rules, check materials required for the class, share your expectations AND do an icebreaker to get to know everyone. Phew, we’re exhausted and the real work hasn’t even begun, yet. How will you ever survive the rest of the week, let alone a full year? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.
TEAM BUILDING: Use a combination of short start-of-class activities with others that require more time to fully involve all staffers. Building group rapport at the start of the year will undoubtedly pay big dividends at stressful times later in the year.
DEVELOP THEME/CONCEPT: Either begin the process of brainstorming theme ideas or present and develop ideas started at summer workshops.
LADDER BUILDING: While putting the yearbook ladder together will most likely be the responsibility of editors, be sure to include all staffers in the brainstorming process to help expand coverage where needed, or curtail coverage that has been overextended in previous years.
BUDGET REVIEW: Money matters are an integral part of the yearbook experience for students and everyone on staff should have a clear understanding of how much it costs to run the yearbook program and how funds are generated.
BOOK SALES PROMOTION: Be sure students and parents know when they may buy the yearbook, along with where and how much. Whether book sales duties are led by the yearbook business manager and a small committee of staffers or the entire staff, be sure promotions are clear and frequent.
AD SALES CAMPAIGN: To help keep yearbook prices as low as possible to students and to help add enhancements to the publication, money from ad sales may be an essential part of the overall income. Thorough planning and early execution could mean that the editors and staff know how much they can spend on the book early in the year.
TRAINING SCHEDULE: Establish plans to train new staffers and refresh scholastic journalism concepts with returning staffers.
TECHNOLOGY CHECK-UP: Be sure all computers are in working order with required software and fonts installed. Schedule any required installations with school site or school district IT personnel. Also, be sure all cameras are in working order and ready for checking out to students for photo coverage of special events and day-to-day activities.
GATHER SCHOOL LISTS: Student enrollment names and schedules will be useful for name checking and also with locating students for interviews or other communication.
REFLECTIVE OF THE SCHOOL: Don’t forget to get activities calendars and sports schedules to help map out complete coverage for the year. School and district calendars can also help plan around school holidays and any special events.
https://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Alice-B-Landrum-MS1-scaled.jpg17072560VARSITY YEARBOOKhttps://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Varsity_Yearbook_V-braid-1-1.pngVARSITY YEARBOOK2024-08-15 09:00:462024-08-16 14:44:10Surviving the First Week / Month
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https://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Picking-theme-Blog-Header.png5961154VARSITY YEARBOOKhttps://yearbookdiscoveries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Varsity_Yearbook_V-braid-1-1.pngVARSITY YEARBOOK2023-06-19 19:44:052024-08-04 22:22:36Tips for Picking a Yearbook Theme
