Teacher awards

Rising Star trophies are given to advisers who are in their first five years of advising a media program and have shown great dedication to scholastic journalism and have had success advising at least one media program.

Medals of Merit are given to JEA members who have made significant contributions to scholastic journalism.

Recognizing a journalism teacher who through excellent instruction inspired others to pursue scholastic journalism teaching and/or advising.

JEA gives this award to retirees for lifetime dedication to journalism education in the form of advising or other contributions to the profession.

The National Yearbook Adviser of the Year program is designed to honor outstanding secondary advisers and their exemplary work from the previous year, as well as throughout their careers.

The Journalism Education Association awards a $1,500 scholarship to advisers who intends to earn a secondary administrator's credential/license and seek a position in administration.

This award is given to a professional journalist, professional media outlet or other individual or group making a significant contribution to scholastic journalism.

The Journalism Education Association’s Diversity Award honors a scholastic journalism teacher, student media adviser or scholastic journalism group demonstrating a commitment to cultural awareness and encouraging a multicultural approach with its student media staff, media production and/or community. The honoree must be in the forefront in promoting diversity in the scholastic media arena and must have taken steps to break down walls of misunderstanding and ignorance.

The Carl Towley Award is JEA’s highest honor and is presented to a JEA member whose work is unusually beneficial and of superior value to the national JEA and to scholastic journalism.