By Lindsay Porter, CJE, JEA assistant director

During the spring board of directors meeting, JEA leaders voted unanimously to increase membership rates for the first time since 2017. 

The membership rate increase is driven by many factors including revamping JEA’s benefits and resources through an upcoming website redesign, adding new lesson plans to the curriculum resources, expanding JEA programs to serve underrepresented populations and operational expenses due to inflation. 

Some of these membership-benefit enhancements are already in progress. Last fall, JEA revealed a new format for lesson plans in the curriculum initiative. The new “One Slide” format provides a visual digest of the lesson plan and uses Google Slides and Docs to make it easier for busy teachers to find the lesson they want and modify it for their purposes. 

Since its creation, the JEA Curriculum Initiative has been rated the No. 1 membership benefit, and JEA remains committed to providing the best secondary curriculum in scholastic media education. JEA is contracting a journalism curriculum specialist to update the remaining curriculum modules to the new format and to add new lesson plans to the curriculum inventory.

“The new journalism curriculum specialist will take our existing curriculum to the next level by providing weekly innovative lessons to our members,” JEA President Val Kibler, MJE, said. “These lessons will oftentimes incorporate current events as well as cutting edge plans and activities to advance teachers professionally and consequently our scholastic journalists.” 

JEA Executive Director Veronica Purvis said members will see other changes and additions to membership benefits that will be supported by the membership rate increase.

“Members will see more improvements to JEA membership benefits over the next few years as we focus on enhancing programs, content and accessibility, especially as we prepare for our centennial,” Purvis said.

In 2024, JEA aims to launch a website redesign bringing its four content websites — www.jea.org, www.jeadigitalmedia.org, www.jeasprc.org, www.curriculum.jea.org — under the JEA.org URL to make it easier for members to find online resources. JEA also plans to launch a searchable archive of issues and articles from Communication: Journalism Education Today making the vast history of JEA’s flagship publication accessible to all members.

JEA maintains its commitment to scholastic journalism education and continues to provide affordable membership to give media advisers access to resources and programs to improve their teaching, advising and professional development. 

The new membership rates will go into effect July 1, 2023. 

Membership rates

JEA members wanting to take advantage of the lifetime teacher/adviser rate will receive a bonus incentive if they become a lifetime member between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024 — in celebration of JEA’s 2024 centennial, new lifetime members will save $100. 

*Beginning July 1, 2024, the lifetime member/teacher rate will be $899.

JEA teacher/adviser membership is for one individual. It does not offer a school or site license rate for multiple teachers.

Founded in 1924, JEA supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, promoting professionalism, encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement, and an atmosphere which encompasses diversity yet builds unity. It is headquartered at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.