2025 President’s Collection Video Series
The President’s Collection is a curated set of national award-winning yearbooks recognized by Walsworth Yearbooks for excellence in theme, design, coverage, photography, writing and reference. Through short, focused videos, you will study real examples from these books to understand what judges look for, why these publications are successful and how to apply those standards to your own yearbook.
Theme
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2025 President's Collection: Theme
What makes a yearbook theme truly award winning?
In this video, we break down theme development from the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books. Using real examples, we show how strong programs create modern, personal themes that are carried consistently from cover to closing.
Featured schools include:
Lone Star, James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas
Fusion, Hagerty High School, Oviedo, Florida
Chieftan, Jupiter Community High School, Jupiter, Florida
Ayrie, Liberty North High School, Liberty, Missouri
The Lion, McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
You will see examples that focus on:
Developing a modern, fresh and unique theme concept
Making theme personal to the school and student body
Carrying verbal and visual theme elements throughout the book
Using recurring devices, mods and graphics to reinforce theme
Maintaining consistency from cover, to spreads, to reference and closing
This video is ideal for theme brainstorming, staff training or evaluating how well your current theme is being developed across your book.
Design
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2025 President's Collection: Design
What makes yearbook design stand out at a national award level?
In this video, we break down design from the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books, focusing on how strong layout, typography, color and structure work together to create cohesive, engaging spreads. Using real examples, we show how great design balances creativity with clarity.
Featured schools include:
The Talon, Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville, Texas
The Spectator, Liberty High School, Liberty, Missouri
Silvertip, Rocky Mountain High School, Meridian, Idaho
Crag, Turner Ashby High School, Bridgewater, Virginia
Raider, Gulliver Preparatory Middle School, Coral Gables, Florida
Crusader, River Ridge Middle School, New Port Richey, Florida
You will see examples that highlight:
Core design principles like hierarchy, balance, contrast and proximity
Strong grid use and intentional layout structure
Consistent theme elements carried from cover to colophon
Purposeful typography choices that enhance readability
Visual variety without losing cohesion
This video works well for designer training, staff critiques or inspiration as you refine the look of your next book.
Photo
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2025 President's Collection: Photography
What makes yearbook photography stand out at a national award level?
In this video, we take a closer look at photography from the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books. Using real spreads and real student work, we highlight how strong programs capture action, emotion, and storytelling through intentional photography choices.
Featured schools include:
Raider, Gulliver Preparatory Upper School, Miami, Florida
Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Arena, Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas
The Lion, McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
The Round-Up, Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas
You will see examples that focus on:
Action over posed photos
Emotion and storytelling
Strong composition and cropping
Clear centers of visual interest
Technical quality that prints well
This video is ideal for photographer training, staff discussions or as inspiration while planning your next yearbook.
Copy
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2025 President's Collection: Copy
What separates a yearbook that simply covers events from one that truly tells the story of a year?
In this video, we break down writing and storytelling from the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books. Using real spreads and real student work, we explore how strong reporting, intentional structure and authentic voice elevate coverage into meaningful journalism.
You will see examples from:
- Brickhouse, Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park, Kansas
- The Stampede, J.W. Mitchell High School, Trinity, Florida
- Marquee, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida
- The Legend, El Dorado High School, El Paso, Texas
Key writing takeaways covered in this video:
- How strong leads draw readers into a story
- Why detailed reporting creates depth and credibility
- Using quotes effectively to capture authentic student voice
- Balancing narrative storytelling with concise informational writing
- Writing captions that go beyond the obvious
- Matching tone and structure to the content of the spread
- Avoiding vague language and generic phrasing
This video is designed to help staffs:
- Strengthen reporting and interviewing skills
- Improve feature writing and profile structure
- Elevate captions and headlines
- Build consistency and clarity across the book
Reference
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2025 President's Collection: Reference
What makes a yearbook reference section more than just an afterthought?
In this video, we break down reference sections from the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books. Using standout examples, we show how strong reference sections combine organization, completeness, and design to create a polished, reader-focused finish.
Featured schools include:
Ledoian, Aledo High School, Aledo, Texas
Eyry, Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte, North Carolina
Landriac, Lawson High School, Lawson, Missouri
Heritage, Shawnee Mission South High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Ship, Presque Isle High School, Presque Isle, Maine
The Den, Bernardo Heights Middle School, San Diego, California
You will see examples that focus on:
Including all essential reference elements
Clear, detailed scoreboards and group photos
Indexes that are complete, accurate and easy to use
Colophons that fully document the creation of the book
Carrying theme, style and design into ads and reference pages
This video is ideal for reference editors, advisers and staffs looking to strengthen one of the most overlooked sections of the book.
Coverage
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2025 President’s Collection: Coverage
2025 President’s Collection: Coverage
What does strong yearbook coverage really look like when it is done well?
In this video, we break down coverage from the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books. Using real examples, we explore how staffs organize their books, expand coverage and tell more complete stories that represent as many students as possible.
Featured schools include:
Pantera, Mead High School, Spokane, Washington
Arena, Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas
Interlachen, Montverde Academy, Montverde, Florida
Panther, H.B. Plant High School, Tampa, Florida
Genesis, Rock Ridge High School, Ashburn, Virginia
Aerie, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
You will see examples that focus on:
Clear organizational structures, including traditional, chronological and blended approaches
Expanding coverage to include more students and voices
Using a variety of storytelling formats and spread types
Balancing dense coverage with strong hierarchy and visual breaks
Letting content drive design and coverage decisions
This video is ideal for editors, advisers and staffs looking to strengthen storytelling, organization and inclusivity across their entire book.
That Yearbook Podcast Episode
That Yearbook Podcast: 5 Lessons from the 2025 President’s Collection
What can award-winning yearbooks teach you right now, in the middle of deadline season?
In this episode of That Yearbook Podcast, we break down five key lessons learned from analyzing the 2025 President’s Collection award-winning books. After reviewing all 30 national award winners page by page, we share the biggest takeaways that separate strong books from exceptional ones.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- There is no single formula for greatness, but there must be purpose and consistency
- Attention to detail is what elevates good books to award-winning level
- Coverage must be deep, varied and representative of your school community
- Strong writing still matters and engaging storytelling drives readership
- Theme-rich books carry their concept visually and verbally from cover to closing
We also talk about how the 2025 President’s Collection video series breaks these concepts down into six focused areas: theme, design, coverage, writing, photography and reference.
This episode is designed to help staffs:
- Stay motivated during deadline season
- Understand what judges look for in award-winning books
- Identify areas for growth in their current production cycle
- Start planning stronger systems for next year
Be sure to check out our 2025 President’s Collection Gallery and more here!
Sabrina Cady, CJE, is a Walsworth Yearbooks representative, key accounts specialist and the former publications adviser at J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, Florida. Under her leadership, The Stampede yearbook earned multiple CSPA Crowns, an NSPA Pacemaker, and was a Design of the Year Finalist. She was Teacher of the Year in 2013, was a District Teacher of the Year Finalist, and teaches at workshops and conventions nationwide.
Jim Jordan is the former yearbook adviser at Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, California, and now a special consultant for Walsworth Yearbooks.
He was a yearbook adviser for 35 years, and over the years the Decamhian yearbook earned numerous Pacemaker and CSPA Gold Crown honors. The Decamhian was recognized in 2022 as having earned the second-highest number of Pacemakers in NSPA’s 100 year history.
Jordan was the 1996 JEA Yearbook Adviser of the Year, and has received CSPA Gold Key, NSPA Pioneer, JEA Medal of Merit and JEA Lifetime Achievement awards. He received the Linda S. Puntney Teacher Inspiration Award in 2021.
He now shares his expertise with students and advisers at workshops and conventions across the country and leads mentorship through the Adviser Mentor Program. He was among the first to embrace desktop technology in the 1980s and apply it to yearbook, and he remains an innovator in the yearbook industry.
Be sure to check out his yearbook-focused podcast, Yearbook Chat with Jim that highlights the stories of great yearbook advisers from around the country.
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