Every yearbook staff starts somewhere. Whether your team is packed with returners or filled with first-time editors and reporters, the early days of the school year are all about building confidence, sharpening skills and learning to work as a team. Walsworth Yearbook’s 2025 Bootcamp is here to help you do just that.
This year’s Bootcamp is a fully guided, hands-on experience that takes your staff from a blank page to a complete, publish-ready spread. It is practical, student-facing and designed to meet your staff where they are, whether you’re running a summer camp or kicking off the first week of class.
What to Expect
Bootcamp is broken into six steps. Each one walks students through an essential piece of the yearbook process, from interviewing and storytelling to mod design, caption writing and layout building. Unlike a lecture or slideshow, Bootcamp is built to be experienced. Students will interview a classmate, write a real feature story, take and choose photos, write captions and design a spread.
Every step includes an instructional simulation video you can play directly for your students. Along the way, they will complete small tasks that build into a full finished product. You can work through the steps across one week of class or spread it out over as many as you need. Advisers can customize the pacing based on the experience level of their staff.
Time Commitment
Most advisers can complete Bootcamp over five to seven days of class time, though each lesson is designed to be flexible. The videos are short enough to play in a standard class period with time left for student work time. A single class period per step is usually enough, though you may choose to allow more time for layout and revision.
Students will be expected to complete an interview, write a draft story, collect photos and submit a final spread. Advisers can choose whether to assess work informally or formally. A final checklist is provided to guide review, editing and submission.
Why Bootcamp Matters
Walsworth’s 2025 Bootcamp is about more than skills. While students will walk away with stronger interviewing, writing and design abilities, the deeper goal is connection. From the first activity, Bootcamp is designed to help staffers get to know each other, collaborate and understand the purpose of the yearbook as a storytelling project.
By the end of Bootcamp, your students will have produced a real spread based on a real story. Just as important, they will have experienced one full yearbook workflow cycle as a team. The process builds shared language, shared experience and a shared understanding of what it takes to create a great yearbook.
For new staffers, Bootcamp builds confidence and clarity. For returners, it re-establishes expectations and re-focuses skills. For everyone, it creates momentum that carries into your first real deadlines.
Ready to Start?
Bootcamp 2025 is available now. The full video series, printable checklist and supporting materials are all housed in one place. Whether you’re brand new or just need a spark to get things moving, this is your launchpad.
Start the year strong. Watch your staff grow.
