Journalist of the Year Resources
Awards
Sister Rita Jeanne Abicht Scholarships, named for JEA’s longtime treasurer, recognize the top high school journalists in the country. The contest begins at the state level. Winning portfolios from state Journalist of the Year competitions are sent to the national level, with winners announced at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. JEA sends scholarship funds — $3,000 for the top winner, and $1,000 each for up to four finalists — to the winner's college or university account.
Contact your JEA state director for instructions on state contest submission. The tools on this site were designed for use at state and national contests, but candidates need to verify the procedures listed here are what they should do to enter their state first. For national Journalist of the Year submissions, all entries must be digital. There are resources available here to help candidates get moving on the process. Advisers should share direct prospective applicants to this web page.
Applicants and advisers should review each of the following links to learn more about the application process.
Deadlines:
Round 1: Check state submission deadlines.
Round 2: State-winning portfolios must be submitted to JEA by March 10.
If there is an area of this site that is lacking, please send an email to Joe Humphrey so we can enhance our content to be more user friendly.