Jostens, the leading producer of yearbooks and student-created content, recently announced that Eastside High School’s yearbook program has achieved the Jostens 2021 National Yearbook Program of Excellence award at the Bronze Level. The National Yearbook Program of Excellence recognizes engaging yearbooks that reflect a broad representation of the student body while helping students develop 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, and information and communication technologies (ICT) literacy.
The Eastside High School award-winning yearbook program is under the direction of Brian Thompson, Eastside High School yearbook adviser.
“It is an overwhelming honor for us to be recognized, especially considering the challenges that we have all had to face this year,” Thompson said. “I’m extremely proud of the way the staff pulled together.”
According to Thompson, nine students—Autumn Hunter, Lillian Litts, Lydia Lee, Kenzie Moss, Katrina Ozburn, Alivia Yates, Grace Frazier, Hannah Woods, Anslee Allen, and Hailee Marin—comprised the award-winning yearbook staff this school year. He explained that the yearbook production is essentially a year-long process from beginning to end.
“We start planning at the end of the school year by workshopping a theme, scheduling team pictures, senior pictures, cover design, etc. and our final Josten’s deadline is in March, so it takes essentially 11 months.”
He noted that his Yearbook students are responsible for interviewing and taking supplemental pictures in addition to providing text for the final product.
“We use a template-based design but they put their own touches on those regarding content,” said Thompson. Then he and a Josten’s representative, Lauren Nicholson, do final editing along with the staff editor.
This marks the first year Eastside’ yearbook staff has earned the prestigious award.
"Winning national recognition from Jostens is a tremendous honor, especially in a year with so much uncertainty, frequent interruptions, and the need for constant adjustments,” said Thompson. “This group of girls put their nose to the grindstone and, when someone left the staff or dropped the ball, they picked up extra tasks and kept moving forward. I'm extremely proud of them, and the finished product is a special validation of everything they have done.”
Jostens’ National Yearbook Program of Excellence Awards are presented twice a year, in spring and in fall based on the yearbook’s arrival date at the school. The award was presented to the Eastside High School yearbook program for achieving defined criteria in between one and three of the following categories: creating an inclusive yearbook, generating school engagement, and successfully managing the yearbook creation process.
“Jostens is proud to recognize those individuals who have created an exceptional yearbook for their school and community,” said Tammy Whitaker, Jostens VP and COO Yearbook Division. “These schools did an exceptional job on multiple levels, despite the challenges presented by this school year.
Yearbooks are a critical part of capturing and telling a school’s story, and Jostens is dedicated to supporting yearbook staff members as they do their important work.”
Founded in 1897, Jostens has produced school yearbooks for over 60 years. Schools rely on Jostens and their local Jostens representatives to provide a combination of journalism education and technology tools to deliver a learning experience that helps students develop 21st century skills in journalism, photography, writing and design, leadership and business while creating the permanent record of the school year. Jostens invests in state-of-the-art technology, best in class service, educational curriculum and award-winning print manufacturing platforms to plan, design, build and produce yearbooks.