Yearbook photography captures a moment. Writing explains why the moment mattered.
The 2025 President’s Collection Training Series highlights award-winning books that treat writing as essential coverage, not decoration. These staffs interview with purpose, structure stories intentionally and let student voices lead the narrative.
Award-Winning Writing Examples from the 2025 President’s Collection
The Marquee, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida
Dreyfoos demonstrates how theme writing can establish tone without explaining the theme outright. Their opening copy uses structure and style to reflect the student experience. Throughout the book, stories follow clear journalistic structure. Leads establish focus. Transitions provide context. Quotes carry emotion and authenticity. The writing is deliberate, people-centered and rooted in interviews.
The Legend, El Dorado High School, El Paso, Texas
El Dorado showcases confident theme copy that reflects school identity. Their writing maintains a strong voice while avoiding editorializing. Headlines are specific and paired with subheads that clarify focus. Feature stories include engaging leads, meaningful student quotes and secondary coverage packages that expand understanding without repeating information.
The Stampede, J.W. Mitchell High School, Trinity, Florida
J.W. Mitchell highlights balanced and factual reporting. Stories remain in past tense, active voice and third person. Sensitive or complex topics are handled with accuracy and multiple perspectives. Traditional events are covered with fresh angles, clear structure and strong attribution. The writing prioritizes clarity over commentary.
Brickhouse, Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Shawnee Mission North reinforces the importance of strong leads, authentic quotes and careful editing. Headlines accurately reflect story content and are supported by clear subheads. Captions add detail rather than stating the obvious. Across the book, writing feels intentional, proofread and stylistically consistent.
What Sets Award-Winning Writing Apart
- Stories have a clear angle and answer who, what, when, where, why and how
- Body copy is written in past tense, active voice and third person
- Quotes are meaningful and interview driven
- Theme copy establishes tone without being overexplanatory
- Stories avoid editorializing and represent perspectives fairly
- Headlines are attention grabbing and paired with subheads
- Every photo includes a detailed, storytelling caption
- All writing follows AP style and is carefully proofread
How to Use this Resource
Each video includes a paired lesson plan, making the series easy to use for:
- Bell ringers
- Independent practice
- Skill-building work sessions
- Sub plans
- Inspiration during production
Explore the 2025 President’s Collection training series and start building a theme that strengthens every page of your yearbook.
