IJEA Yearbook Contest
Online Entry Form for 2026 Yearbook Contest (2025-26 Books)
Deadline for Submitting 2026 Online Entry Form:
11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026
Postmark Deadline for Mailing 2025-26 Books:
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026
HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST
The 2026 competition will honor yearbooks covering the 2025-26 school year. To enter, follow these steps:
(1) Fill out and submit the online entry form by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
(2) Mail your 2025-26 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 Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
(3) Make sure you are an IJEA member for 2026-27. Information about yearly and lifetime memberships is available here and also below in the section titled “IJEA Membership.”
(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.”
NOTE TO IJEA MEMBERS: Unless you are a lifetime member, you will need to renew your IJEA membership for 2026-27 to be eligible for contests held during the 2026-27 school year. Your 2025-26 IJEA membership will have expired on June 30, 2026, and only lifetime memberships or 2026-27 memberships will be accepted for contest eligibility.
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 co-coordinators will be Katie Fernandez, IJEA executive director, and Dave Porreca, IJEA board member. 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 2026 contest must be IJEA members for 2026-27. Unless you are a lifetime member, you will need to renew your IJEA membership for 2026-27 to be eligible for contests held during the 2026-27 school year. Your 2025-26 IJEA membership will have expired on June 30, 2026. To become a 2026-27 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 for 2026-27, complete and submit our 2026-27 online membership form OR our 2026-27 fillable PDF membership form. (Both forms are available here). 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.
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.
• 2025 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2024-25 school year
• 2024 Yearbook Contest | Books from 2023-24 school year
• 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