Year-end Projects

If you have your staffers learn via video or podcast, they might all do the same show on the same day — at least at the start. If you decide to use one of the extended projects, it’s likely that would be the assignment for everyone. And, while you might assign everyone a writing prompt, you could either let them choose a topic or have everyone write on the same topic on the same day.

This section is more like a menu. Some of the assignments need to be done, but there’s no need for several staffers to duplicate efforts. Others can be executed a number of times to get better results or coverage. Most of these could be done in a couple of hours as opposed to requiring a week of class time or more.

CROWDSOURCED LESSONS

We’re delighted to include these ideas from advisers and editors everywhere — and we love the generosity of teachers willing to share with others in these unprecedented times.

COLOR THEORY PROJECT

This two-day/two-part activity focused on color and how it plays a part in our yearbooks was created and shared by adviser Juliet Radford, Albany (CA) HS.

Download activity pdf

POUR YOUR HEART OUT

Choose a single image that captures the essence of your school, this year or an achievement or event shared by students at your school this year. This can be an image from staff files, the eDesign photo library or your phone. Then, compose a brief “love letter” to other members of the team, the class or club or to the entire school community reminding them of highlights and specifics that matter. If you want (after you turn in both components to complete this assignment), share with others who are likely to treasure the same memories via social media or some other way.

Taylor Yuan, 2020 managing editor (and former photo editor) at Arapahoe HS in Centennial, CO, recently combined several moments to create this compelling image.

Here’s how she explains the personal impact of this work:
“For four years, I photographed our rowdy student body decked out in black and gold, our victories, our losses and everything else in between. To me, this particular photo represents our current state of emotions as high school seniors during this global health crisis. In the photo, a senior student enters Arapahoe High School to gather belongings from her locker on March 23, 2020. Behind her is the memory of the 2019-2020 Wild Warrior Women that chanted through the halls last fall during homecoming week.”

She originally posted the image and her note (below) on her “not-very-active personal photo site” but soon her peers shared the post organically with other members of the senior class.

“Our spring semester full of promise and celebration, in a matter of weeks, has become a source of grieving.

We made the most of our firsts but are anxious about losing the chance to cherish our lasts. Because we unapologetically pour our hearts in our work, our activities and our friendships.

This year, we finally took our seats in the senior section, stormed through the halls roaring, ‘This is our house,’ and stepped up as the leaders of Arapahoe. This was our time to make our final marks as Warriors. All 522 of us have made an impact on Arapahoe High School. Whether you’ve been performing on stage or competing on the field. Whether you started a new club or smiled at someone in the hallway.

We planned to play our hearts out on the field, make state in our clubs, dance ’til we dropped at prom and see our friends for what could be the last time. But, ultimately, we all looked forward to graduation. The time to celebrate each other’s accomplishments and bright futures.

The time for our teachers — the supporting pillars in our lives — to witness that we’d overcome the hardships we thought we couldn’t beat.

A lot of us are hurting right now but, Class of 2020, we will finish our senior year and we will celebrate our successes very soon and hopefully belt out our class song ‘September’ together.”

MIMIC A MASTER

Adviser Elizabeth Brown from The Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL, asked her students to document the life experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inspired by the work of Dorothea Lange, famous for many photographs including The Migrant Mother during the Great Depression, students are creating black and white photographs to speak to their lives in the present moment.

See a collection of Lange’s images here.

Here’s a sample of some current student work:

GET OUT AND ABOUT

Adviser Wendy Fisher from Merritt Island (FL) Christian School submitted this fun challenge to get students out and about and thinking about photography design elements.

See video here.

JUNK DRAWER CHALLENGE

Another Wendy Fisher photo challenge, this one using your junk drawer. Adviser at Merritt Island (FL) Christian School, Fisher challenges the students to use the elements and principles of design.

See video here.

BUSINESS MATTERS

Check and double-check your orders against a roster so you know exactly how many books are sold and precisely who has not purchased a yearbook.
Plan and execute a targeted sale (Send and Sell, via social media) to specific non-buyers (freshmen who are involved, seniors who have been covered, players on a championship team).
Accept the challenge of making sure that the yearbook is sold out before the books arrive on campus; this may involve recruiting additional staffers to come up with creative campaigns to keep reaching out to students and parents.
Design materials to promote senior ad sales for next year’s book — and set the deadline early to allow your staff some deadline leeway. Is it a Send and Sell to parents of juniors that you can send sooner rather than later?
Create a survey to measure student reaction to the book and collect comments that can help keep the yearbook relevant on campus.

WRAPPING THINGS UP

Complete the editors’ note if you include one when you send books for competition or exchange.
Do a coverage audit to measure both non-seniors who were over- and under-covered so that you can be intentional with coverage next year. Don’t forget to count faculty and staff too.
Assemble and train a team to create a digital archive of this year’s book.
Create a list of staffs you want to exchange books with, and do the research so addresses and an exchange letter are ready to go.
Write thank you notes to advertisers and sponsors, people on campus who support your program and others who have influenced and assisted you. Here is a resource to help you get started.

LOOKING FORWARD

Manage the refresh and revision of your staff manual. Don’t have one? Make it a priority.
Have everyone on staff write a letter to a new staffer, sharing some advice about being successful in yearbook next year. This is a variation on having staffers provide written advice — and some specific instructions — to those who will follow in their footsteps next year. Here is a great outline of what should be included.
Plan a schedule for an Each One, Teach One series. Determine which topics are necessary and decide who the best trainer in each area would be. Who should teach hierarchy, headlining and caption writing? Or, have people spend some time learning new skills on YouTube and plan a similar share. Here is a resource with even more ideas on this topic.
Work in a small group to assign and solicit summer photos. It’s best to do some work in advance.
Schedule summer meetings as needed. Whether it’s getting to know each other better, continuing with theme work or preparing for summer training, it’s best to have dates in the calendar.
Plan a brainstorm, so you can all share thoughts on this year and next and set some staff goals.
Have everyone start searching for inspiration, both visual and verbal. Create a Google folder or other space where everyone contributes to the collection.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES

Take charge of the staff’s end-of-the-year celebration. Make the plans and coordinate logistics.
Strategize staff recognition for the end of the year. Senior awards? Paper plate awards?
Make a deadline playlist.
Create a staff scrapbook. Use this outline to help with structure.

A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

Capture some images of the world as it is right now for coverage in future yearbooks. If everyone did three or four, collected quotes and wrote captions, you’d be in great shape. Make sure the images are saved somewhere they’ll be easy to find and access in the fall.
Jump back into the COVID-19 coverage. Find three online photos that tell the story in a powerful way, capture screen shots and explain their power.
Pay attention to the use of data visualization in COVID-19 coverage. Find two examples of charts or graphs that tell the story well, and analyze what made them successful. These could be submitted in written format or you might choose to project everyone’s examples during a staff Zoom or Hangout.

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