Celebrating the students on campus—all of them—is what we love most about inclusive yearbooks. This year, the theme for Scholastic Journalism Week is “Amplifying Voices.” If you’re participating, or here for inspiration, here are some ways to integrate Scholastic Journalism Week into your school and get more students heard.
Monday: Participate in #MakingConnections
From PTA/PTO councils to journalism teachers, there are people willing to share best practices. It’s one of the reasons we love to share about Yearbook Heroes. Identify:
- Who is doing what I want to do?
- What can I learn from them?
- Who can inspire my students?
- What similar stories do we have on campus?
- Who is disconnected? How do we amplify their voice?
You may be the one to teach others—share your story!
Tuesday: #teachmeTuesday
Because this is a celebration of scholastic journalism, take some time to teach journalism. Start with a writing lesson or practice interviewing. Collectively, you could tackle intorduce media literacy or a difficult reporting assignment such as covering the recent wildfires or tornadoes.
Wednesday: be about the business of #SharingStories
Take advantage of our pre-planned social media calendar to jumpstart your shares. Make sure your posts feature diverse grades, activities, and subjects. This way, you show students the value individuals make to the whole of your school community.
In your yearbook, you may want to include quote packages or fill-ins to amplify voices and give students the means to share their stories.
Thursday: always fit in a #throwback
Throwback Thursdays are fun because you can do nearly anything:
- Feature stories from alumni (don’t forget to use their yearbook photo!)
- Collaborate with a social science teacher on campus to integrate journalism’s impact on history
- Print and display favorite yearbook spreads or covers from the previous years
Friday: #DemocracyInAction
JEA encourages schools to use the last day of Scholastic Journalism Week to share how their schools and communities value the freedom of the press. Here are some ideas on how to participate:
Elementary Schools
- Memorize the First Amendment
- Start student-led media projects
Middle and High Schools
- Have a conversation with school administration over the Principal’s Guide for Scholastic Journalism
- Learn to evaluate sources
- Memorize the First Amendment
Your participation in Scholastic Journalism Week 2022, be it one day or all five, will show your journalism students their voices matter as well as the responsibility they have as campus advocates to be the voice of others.
