Fall Yearbook Contest 2024
The Fall Yearbook Contest for 2024 is now open!
How do you enter? Go to https://betternewspapercontest.com to enter into the Fall Yearbook Contest. Each entry costs $2, and you must pay for a minimum of 20 entries at the online IHSPA store. The contest will be open until August 31st. If you have trouble logging into the BetterBNC platform, check to make sure you’ve paid your member dues for the current academic year. You can also contact Cody France at BetterBNC [email protected] or email Michelle Sillman at [email protected].
Here’s a tutorial on how to submit student work using the BetterBNC platform.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Feature photo with caption / student life, school related | Enter photos that tell a story. The emphasis is on capturing people living their lives, so do not enter posed photos. Subject area encompasses school events, academics and organizations. Use photo techniques like framing, leading lines and low or high angle. The photo demonstrates good exposure and shutter speed. Include a caption. |
| Feature photo with caption / student life, out-of-school related | Enter photos that tell a story. The emphasis is on capturing people living their lives, so do not enter posed photos. Subject area encompasses student life out of school. Use photo techniques like framing, leading lines and low or high angle. The photo demonstrates good exposure and shutter speed. Include a caption. |
| Environmental photo / caption | Enter photos that show the personality of a person/group of people. The emphasis is on portraying the essence of the individual/group. Most likely, this will be done by posing the subject/s in an environment that helps tell the story. Use photo techniques like framing, leading lines and low or high angle. The photo demonstrates good exposure and shutter speed. Include a caption. |
| Sports action photo / caption | Enter photos that tell a story. The emphasis is on action so do not enter posed photos. Use photo techniques like framing, leading lines and low or high angle. The photo demonstrates good exposure and shutter speed. Include a caption. |
| Sports feature photo / caption | Enter photos that tell a story. The emphasis is on reaction to what has occurred in a sporting event, so do not enter posed photos. Use photo techniques like framing, leading lines and low or high angle. The photo demonstrates good exposure and shutter speed. Include a caption. |
| Story / student life, out-of-school related | The story goes beyond reporting facts to highlight an interesting angle. Subject matter encompasses out of school angles. Several sources and ample use of direct quotes bring robustness to the story. Include the headline. |
| Story / student life, school related | The story goes beyond reporting facts to highlight an interesting angle. Subject matter encompasses school events, academics, organizations or sports. Several sources and ample use of direct quotes bring robustness to the story. Include the headline. |
| Personality Profile | The story goes beyond reporting facts to highlight an interesting angle about a person. Several sources and ample use of direct quotes bring robustness to the story. Include the headline. |
| Sports Story | The story goes beyond reporting facts to highlight an interesting angle about a school sport. Several sources and ample use of direct quotes bring robustness to the story. Include the headline. |
| Infograph /Mod | Communicates interesting information in an alternative form to story writing. Entries could include charts, fact boxes, quote boxes, maps, question/answers, polls, step-by-step, how-tos and more. |
| Photo Illustration | The illustration tells a story. Any item that uses photo manipulation qualifies. |
| Cover | The cover introduces the theme, which fits the school and the particular year. The design uses visuals that embody the theme catch phrase. The entry must be student-created work. |
| Theme | Include the cover, the front and back end sheets, the opening spread and one division spread. The theme fits the school and the particular year. The cover introduces the theme. The theme carries over to the end sheets and the opening and division spread. This must be combined into a single PDF. |
| Design / Opening, closing or division spread | The spread presents information in an organized way. It showcases the theme. and includes feature coverage in the form of photos/captions, stories and/or infographs. The layout represents a marriage of words and visuals and uses white space effectively. |
| Design / summer to December events | The spread presents information in an organized way. It showcases any event in students’ lives and includes feature coverage in the form of photos/captions, stories and/or infographs. The layout represents a marriage of words and visuals and uses white space effectively. |
| Design / January to June events | The spread presents information in an organized way. It showcases any event in students’ lives and includes feature coverage in the form of photos/captions, stories and/or infographs. The layout represents a marriage of words and visuals and uses white space effectively. Page designs will be judged on the following criteria: ▪ Effective use of photos, color, art, graphics and typography ▪ Established visual hierarchy ▪ Contemporary appeal ▪ Contrasting elements of size and color ▪ Effective use of white space ▪ Creativity |
| Design / Mugs | The spread presents information in an organized way. It showcases mug shots and includes feature coverage in the form of photos/captions, stories and/or infographs. The layout represents a marriage of words and visuals and uses white space effectively. Page designs will be judged on the following criteria: ▪ Effective use of photos, color, art, graphics and typography ▪ Established visual hierarchy ▪ Contemporary appeal ▪ Contrasting elements of size and color ▪ Effective use of white space ▪ Creativity |
| Total Package | Total package spreads will be judged on the following criteria. Winning entries will use a combination of these elements to tell the story. ▪ Writing ▪ Photos and captions ▪ Graphics, infographics and art ▪ Design elements used to help tell the story ▪ Interesting and unique angles ▪ Video elements or web links (Aurasma) |
| Adverting | Advertising Includes business advertising and senior tributes. The layout uses typography, photos and graphics to bring attention to the business or individual. |
| Reader services | The book uses devices that help readers locate information. Submit the table of contents, title page, colophon and one spread from the index. Page folios will be considered in conjunction with the index spread. |
| Yearbook Innovations | This category recognizes the importance of engaging audiences in the digital age and awards creativity, ingenuity, and/or innovation. Winning entries will show non-traditional additions to the yearbook and might include: data visualization, social media integration, the use of augmented reality, accessibility and inclusivity, innovative interview formats, or innovative design. |
| Digital Media Promotion | Use of video, graphics and social media elements to promote yearbook during the year. |
You may enter up to five examples of work for each category, except for cover/theme and readers services, which will have one entry per school.
Work can be by an individual or a group.
Your school must be an IHSPA member to enter.
All submitted work must be from the previous academic year. This includes spring and fall delivery books.
School size classification: The contests have three size classifications – small, medium and large school based on enrollment. In an effort to achieve similar-sized competition pools, IHSPA uses a system to classify enrollment. Please indicate your 9-12 official enrollment. When all the entries have arrived the classes will be determined by dividing the field into thirds.
Once you have submitted your entries on the BetterBNC platform, please pay for your entries through our online portal at https://commerce.cashnet.com/IHSPA. Scroll down to the Fall Yearbook Contest and click on “view details.” You’ll need to pay for a minimum of 20 entries, which auto-populates in the quantity box. However, if you’ve submitted more than 20 entries, you’ll need to change the number to reflect the larger number of entries submitted.
