By Linda Barrington, MJE

What may be the most coveted award for student journalists starts with competition in your home state. Remember,  JEA’s site gives detailed directions, resources to assist applicants, and information with each state’s deadline and contact information.  Illinois and Wisconsin state deadlines are both Feb. 15. Illinois seniors can submit their portfolios on this website: Illinois Journalism Education Association.  Wisconsin seniors submit their portfolios to JEA director Stan Zoller via email: [email protected].

The JEA scholarship is $3,000 for the one national winner.  Runners-up each receive $850.  There may be up to six runners-up.

“The judging rubric aligns with the 11 key areas in the Curriculum Initiative,” according to the JEA website. “Eligible contestants should be encouraged to review all guidelines. Candidates are required to organize their work examples in their digital portfolio by these 11 areas.”

One look at past winners’ portfolios gives seniors a good idea of how to address each of the standards in the rubrics when preparing their own.  Check them out here: Ina Herlihy,  Taylor Blatchford,  Julia Poe.

Judging is first done at the state level.  The winner for each state then proceeds to the final competition at the national level.  Judging and the announcement of the winners will take place at the JEA/NSPA convention in Los Angeles in April.

The student’s publication adviser must be a member of the Journalism Education Association.

If you have questions about the national contest, please reach out to Rebecca Pollard. She does a fantastic job addressing things thoroughly and quickly to help directors, advisers and students about the contest. Her email address is [email protected].

Linda Barrington, MJE, is the graphics adviser for the Arches feature magazine at Mount Mary University in Wisconsin.  She is KEMPA executive director and chairs the Winter Advisers’ Seminar.  She is the chair of the JEA Mentor Program and vice-president of the Wisconsin College Media Association.  Her blog focuses on advising and the importance of KEMPA.