With the current pandemic, it can be incredibly difficult to compile in-person photos, even if you’re back on campus. Below is the combined advice of yearbook advisors Amy Fuhr, Chris Edge, Johnna Stanton, and Debbie Georgianna, who told United Yearbook about how they’ve been able to successfully gather pictures.
Getting Creative For Covid
Because there are no events such as dances or fieldtrips, students have to fill in the blanks of the yearbook.
One of the things they do is, they work to have a page on their school website that will be dedicated to the yearbook, and on that page is a Google Form that students can use to upload photos to. Additionally, given Covid-19 restrictions, instead of doing big, campus-wide spirit days, advisors provide activities and prompts throughout the year that students can complete individually, with themes such as “take a picture of you and your pets” or something of the like. Because there are no events such as dances or fieldtrips, students have to fill in the blanks of the yearbook. If you have any sort of elective class that involves teaching students how to use cameras, you can take advantage of the students’ in-person status by having them take on-campus photos you may not have been able to take on your own.
Socially Distanced Events
Something else yearbook advisors are doing is they’re compiling scavenger hunts for their students, where the students take pictures of the things on the list that’s been given to them.
Another thing that advisors are doing is using apps to stay connected with students. You could, for example, use the Remind app, although there is a limit on the number of people who can be in a “class” on the app (i.e., 100-150 students). Another option is ClassTag, which is similar to Remind, and is worth considering if you have a larger class or school than Remind can handle.
Something else yearbook advisors are doing is they’re compiling scavenger hunts for their students, where the students take pictures of the things on the list that’s been given to them. The advisors also ask students to choose five of their peers who they think have an interesting story – they don’t have to tell the story itself, but they should provide the names and a few details about what their peers are doing that might be interesting. If these things are done during the summer, then you’ll have some new material to work with when you return to school in the Fall.
Save The Best For Last
This makes the process of making a yearbook much more doable, since the responsibilities are fairly divided
A final piece of advice: depending on the size of your staff and the size of your student population, you could always divide the student population and assign different sections to different staff members, that way it’s up to those staffers to contact their respective groups and make sure they’re in the yearbook. This makes the process of making a yearbook much more doable, since the responsibilities are fairly divided.
What do you think of this advice? Follow us on Instagram (@unitedyearbook) and DM us any tactics that have worked for you personally that haven’t been mentioned here!
Alyse Mgrdichian, Senior Editor
Alyse Mgrdichian holds a B.A. from Biola University, having majored in psychology and minored in philosophy. She is a senior editor for TSE Worldwide Press, the parent company of United Yearbook Printing, and she applies her expertise and love of stories to the role.
Amy Fuhr, Content Contributor: Yearbook Advisor at David Starr Jordan Middle School, Burbank, CA
Chris Edge, Content Contributor: Yearbook Advisor at Sumter High School, Sumter, SC
Johnna Stanton, Content Contributor: Yearbook Advisor at Morse High School, Maine, ME
Debbie Georgianna, Content Contributor: Yearbook Advisor at Perris High School, Perris, CA
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