Looking for ways to give your staffers more kudos? Enter their stories, photos and pages in national competitions. Boost their college resumes and bring home the hardware.
As the year wind downs, use this slower time to bring more acclaim to your program. In addition to awards for the yearbook overall, national journalism organizations offer individual contests.
NSPA Individual Awards
The National Scholastic Press Association expanded its awards categories last summer, including adding a middle school division. Staffers can submit stories, photos, designs, graphics and themes in NSPA’s Picture of the Year, Design of the Year, Story of the Year and Portfolio of the Year contests. The Portfolio competition has seven categories, including Artist of the Year, Designer of the Year and Photojournalist of the Year.
Ten finalists are selected for each category and announced in early spring, usually in January or February. The final results are announced at the annual spring convention with winners receiving a plaque. Entry is free with NSPA membership and must be submitted electronically by June 21, 2019.
Simon Silva of Alief Hastings High School was of the 10 finalists in the Sports Action category of NSPA’s 2018 Photo of the Year contest. The winners were announced at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Convention in Chicago with Silva finishing first.
CSPA Gold Circle Awards
The most expansive national awards contest, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association offers 164 categories for scholastic journalism to compete in. Yearbook staffs can enter copy, photos, design and theme content for the Gold Circle Awards.
CSPA offers 30 free entries with membership; additional entries are $8.95 per contest. Yearbook winners are announced in February. Newspaper, magazine and digital media entries are due by June 10, 2019 while yearbook entries must be submitted electronically by Oct. 1, 2019. We encourage you to prepare entries in the spring while the book is fresh in the mind of editors.
Vista Ridge High School’s editors won the division page design category of CSPA’s Gold Circle Awards.
Quill & Scroll’s Yearbook Excellence Contest
Quill & Scroll has been honoring student work since 1923 with charters in more than 11,000 schools. The society’s Yearbook Excellence Contest has 18 categories to enter, including stories, designs and photos. Winners receive a National Award Gold Key and are eligible as seniors to apply for a scholarship. Entries must be submitted by their October deadline: $5 per entry, except for the Theme Development category which is $10.
Consider having seniors and editors select potential entries while the rest of the staff prepares for next year’s book. Don’t forget about entering your state journalism organization’s individual contests as well. Every award adds to students’ college resumes and chalks up a win for your program.
