JEA Student Awards

Grades

High school students (grades 9-12)

Age

Typically ages 14-18

Citizenship

U.S. high school students

Prerequisites

Student must be part of school's newspaper, yearbook, magazine, broadcast, or digital media publication; or participating through school journalism program

Steps

1. Register through JEA website (registration typically opens in August)
2. Determine which award categories your work qualifies for
3. Compile submission materials (published work, articles, multimedia pieces, designs, etc.)
4. Submit entries through online platform before deadline
5. Entries reviewed by panel of experienced journalism educators and professionals
6. Winners announced at JEA National Convention (typically November)

Materials Needed

• Published articles, columns, or opinion pieces
• Photographs or multimedia content
• Yearbook/magazine layouts and designs
• Broadcast journalism pieces or audio
• Digital/online journalism work
• Entry form with student name, school, category
• Proof of publication or production

Timeline

Registration opens late August, submissions due September-October, judging September-October, awards announced at National Convention (typically November). Start preparing work in summer/early school year

Cost

Registration fee varies; typically $25-50 per entry or $75-150 for school package depending on number of entries

What Judges Look For

• Quality of writing and reporting
• Journalistic integrity and accuracy
• Originality and creativity
• Design and visual presentation
• Multimedia integration and technical skill
• Adherence to AP Style and journalism standards
• Impact and relevance of story/content
• Photography composition and quality
• Evidence of journalistic process and ethics

Scoring

Entries judged by professional journalists and educators using standardized rubrics evaluating content quality, technical execution, and journalism standards. Categories typically compete at both individual and publication levels

Common Mistakes

• Submitting work that doesn't meet publication standards
• Poor documentation or unclear context for multimedia entries
• Missing entry deadlines or incomplete submission forms
• Submitting work not originally produced during high school journalism
• Not following specific category guidelines or format requirements
• Weak headlines or lack of compelling storytelling
• Technical errors in submitted files (formatting, resolution, etc.)

Acceptance Rate

Not publicly disclosed, but highly competitive - thousands of entries submitted annually across all categories

Applicants

Estimated 5,000-10,000+ individual entries submitted annually from high schools nationwide

Winners / Selected

Typically 100-200+ award winners across various categories (varies by year and category availability)

• Start collecting and documenting your best work early in the school year
• Focus on original, impactful storytelling rather than just technical execution
• Understand AP Style and journalism ethics - judges expect professional standards
• Choose your strongest pieces in each category rather than submitting everything
• Include context about your reporting process and story impact
• For photography/design entries, ensure high resolution files and clear presentation
• Get feedback from your journalism advisor or professional journalists before submitting
• Research past winners' work if possible to understand competitive level
• Submit early to avoid technical issues near deadline
• Tailor entries to specific category requirements and guidelines
• Include diverse entry types (news, feature, opinion, photo, design, multimedia) to maximize recognition
• Document any unique story angles or investigative work that shows enterprise reporting

How to Prepare

• Join your school's newspaper, yearbook, or broadcast journalism program
• Take journalism classes to learn AP Style, reporting, and ethics
• Read professional journalism publications to understand quality standards
• Practice writing news, feature, and opinion articles throughout the year
• Develop photography and design skills if pursuing those categories
• Learn multimedia journalism (video, podcasts, interactive graphics)
• Attend JEA summer workshops for intensive skill development
• Participate in local or state journalism competitions first
• Build a portfolio of your best published work
• Network with other student journalists at conferences

Resources

• JEA.org website and resource library
• JEA Summer Workshops (various locations)
• JEA National High School Journalism Convention (annual)
• AP Stylebook (essential reference)
• Online Journalism Review and similar publications
• School's journalism advisor and curriculum
• NSPA (National Scholastic Press Association) resources
• Local/state journalism associations
• YouTube channels on journalism basics and photography
• Writing competitions and workshops

Time Needed

Minimum 1 full school year of active journalism involvement; 6-8 weeks of focused preparation for award submission; ongoing year-round work in school publication recommended for competitive entries

Successful JEA award winners typically come from schools with active journalism programs, strong advisor support, and consistent publication schedules. Winners demonstrate: strong reporting skills and story selection, professional presentation quality, adherence to journalistic ethics and AP Style, original enterprise reporting rather than routine coverage, diverse skill demonstration (writing, photography, design, multimedia), and active participation in journalism community (competitions, conferences). Many winners go on to study journalism or communications in college

JEA Student Awards recognition carries moderate-to-good weight in college admissions, particularly for journalism and communications programs. Demonstrates: sustained commitment to writing and media, professional skill development, national recognition of excellence, leadership in student media, and passion for journalism field. Top-tier colleges value this as evidence of serious involvement in a substantive academic area. Most valuable when student is Editor-in-Chief or holds significant publication role; recognition awards alone less impactful than organizational positions, but still noteworthy on applications

• Illinois History Day — Tier 3, competition
• Texas History Day — Tier 3, competition
• National History Day (NHD) in DC — Tier 3, competition
• National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) — Tier 3, competition
• Miniversity Singapore Debate Olympiad — Tier 3, olympiad