Thank you for your interest in applying or nominating for a JEA award. This homepage lists all award applications that are currently open. If you don't see the award you're looking for here, that means the application is not currently open. Please visit jea.org/awards to verify relevant dates for the specific award you are interested in.
To submit an award application, you must first create a Submittable account. This is not tied to your JEA member account, although we will verify current membership status for awards that require it. Through your Submittable account you will be able to complete the award submission form in stages and your progress is saved.
All parts of the award submission form must be completed by the award deadline to be eligible. Please visit jea.org/awards for more information. Questions can be directed to staff@jea.org.
DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m. CDT May 15
The Broadcast 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 top advisers will be named Broadcast Adviser of the Year, Distinguished Broadcast Adviser or Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser.
Learn more about the award and the entry criteria on JEA's website.
Eligibility: Applicants must be a current member of the Journalism Education Association to be eligible for this award. The committee seeks those with at least three years' experience.
Note: Once the online application has been submitted, applicants should receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact JEA headquarters at staff@jea.org to make sure your application was received.
2026 prompt: Why is misinformation or disinformation (fake news) so easily spread, and how can journalists aim to counter it?
ABOUT THE CONTEST:
Through this essay contest, the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation and the Journalism Education Association aim to increase high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of media literacy and independent, ethical media. National winners of this contest receive scholarship awards provided by SPJ.
First Place: $1,000 scholarship
Second Place: $500 scholarship
Third Place: $300 scholarship
The contest submission deadline is Feb. 22 11:59 p.m. CST.
ELIGIBILITY AND OVERVIEW:
Students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States are eligible to enter this contest. We are not currently accepting submissions from international students.
Contestants must compose an original essay with minimal guidance from others, including any artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. The essay should be 300-500 words. Entries should be typed and double-spaced. If you reference any external sources, directly or indirectly, a bibliography is required. Please submit as a Word (.docx) file.
Each submission to the essay contest must be accompanied by the $10 entry fee.
Please review full contest rules here before submitting.
SCORING RUBRIC:
Scoring procedures at all levels of the contest will follow this rubric:
- Topic Analysis (Logical, well-informed, evidence-based analysis of topic): 30 points
- Originality & Voice (Fresh insight, nuanced perspective, developed ideas): 25 points
- Use of Language (Strong vocabulary, style, phrasing, clarity, tone, word choice): 20 points
- Structure (Clear formatting, organization, flow, continuity): 15 points
- Mechanics (Excellent grammar, punctuation, spelling): 10 points
Deadline: March 15
About the Award
The purpose of the Student Journalist Impact Award is to recognize a secondary school student (or a team of students who worked on the same entry) who, through the study and practice of journalism, has made a significant difference in his/her own life, the lives of others, the school he/she attends and/or the community in which he/she resides. (NOTE: This is not a scholarship competition. Do not send transcripts.)
This award is co-sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists. The award recognizes secondary school students who, through the practice of journalism, have made a significant difference in the lives of others.
Entry Criteria
- Teachers/advisers may nominate students or students may nominate themselves for this award. (More than one student per entry per school is permissible.)
- The entry must be that of a secondary school student(s) whose teacher/adviser is a JEA member at the time it was published, broadcast or created.
- The entry must be original student work and must have been published within two years preceding the deadline. Date of publication/production must be indicated.
Application Form
- The entry will include URLs or PDF uploads of the article, series of articles (as it/they appeared in print), or multimedia that made the impact.
- A narrative of at least 250 words explaining why the piece or series was produced and how the entry impacted the individuals, others, the school and/or community. Include, if any, media coverage that the entry generated in the community.
- Three letters, uploaded as PDFs, attesting to the impact of the work from the adviser, a school administrator, professional journalist and/or member of the community (parent, student, resident). The impact of the work, not the author(s), should be the focus.
Visit the award page: jea.org/awards/student-journalist-impact-award