Treering’s annual design contest celebrates the creativity, storytelling, and talent that make yearbooks meaningful. This year, we combined the contests for cover, custom pages, and spreads, creating our biggest challenge yet.

Your response was incredible.

Three groups of judges evaluated over 1,000 entries from parents and school leaders for

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

Unlike traditional yearbooks, Treering gives families the option to add two personalized pages to their child's book. Those custom pages print only in their copy, creating a yearbook uniquely theirs. Some families use the space for milestone moments. Others create memory books, passion projects, travel journals, or family tributes. 

This year's winners demonstrated exactly why customization matters. From a retirement handbook created by an entire school community to a first-grade time capsule, a student-designed historical travel journal, and a magazine-inspired celebration of a milestone year, each entry used the format in a different way.

Grand prize winner: Well Bai-Lim

Some entries impressed the judges with design. Some impressed them with storytelling. Wella Bai-Lim overwhelmed them with both.

Created as a surprise retirement gift for beloved principal Sherri Vasquez, The Official Retirement Handbook transformed Treering's custom pages into something far larger than a personal keepsake. Students from every grade level across a school of 950 students contributed artwork, advice, and encouragement, creating a collaborative farewell.

Visually, the project succeeds through restraint. Soft watercolor backgrounds provide a consistent foundation, while student artwork becomes the focal point on every spread. The handbook has hierarchy and organization, allowing hundreds of individual contributions to feel cohesive rather than chaotic. 

Repeated illustrations of Vasquez tie the pages together, while hand-drawn portraits and retirement recommendations preserve the unique voice of each grade level. Bai-Lim created the template using Vasquez’s school portrait. 

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More importantly, every design choice serves the story. The costume-themed illustrations reference Ms. Vasquez's love of costumes and her roots as a kindergarten teacher. The handbook structure turns retirement advice into a playful narrative device. The result feels less like a scrapbook and more like a publication created by an entire community.

Runner up: Ashley Babelon

Ashley Babelon's pages capture first grade through the lens of her son Maxence's personality. Inspired by bright, energetic 90s ‘zines, the design combines handwriting samples, favorite books, Pokémon cards, schoolwork, fashion choices, and snapshots of everyday interests into a visual record of who Maxence is right now.

Judges loved the confidence of the layout. Bold colors, angled elements, hand-drawn notes, and layered graphics create movement throughout the spread. The mods are playful.

What elevates this spread is its authenticity. The spread celebrates the everyday moments of Maxence’s childhood.

Runner up: Paul Goodchild

Many custom pages document memories. Paul Goodchild used his to document learning.

Created by Goodchild, a student, this spread chronicles a trip to Annapolis, Maryland, where classroom lessons from dual-credit U.S. History became real-world experiences. Historic landmarks, waterfront scenes, and reflections on Black history are combined into a layout that feels both educational and personal.

Judges appreciated the adherence to design rules: a dominant central image establishes focus, while supporting photos create structure and rhythm throughout the page. Informational sidebars and modular content blocks provide context without overwhelming the photography. The blueprint-inspired visual language seamlessly connects with the yearbook's theme, making the custom page feel like a natural extension of the book rather than an add-on.

Most importantly, the spread demonstrates thoughtful storytelling. Rather than simply documenting where he traveled, Goodchild explained what he learned and why the experience mattered.

Runner up: Alycia Cooper

Alycia Cooper's tribute to her daughter, Kennedi, embraces the excitement and significance of completing middle school. Large studio portraits, childhood photographs, celebratory props, and a heartfelt parent message work together to create a keepsake centered on a major life milestone.

Judges were drawn to the visual presentation. Oversized typography creates an immediate impact, while the consistent lavender color palette ties the spread together. The contrast between contemporary portraits and childhood snapshots creates a clear visual narrative of growth over time. Layered photography, dimensional effects, and strong focal points give the design the feel of a commemorative magazine feature.

Honorable mentions 

More than any other category, this one revealed what makes Treering different. Custom pages are the personal stories that appear alongside portraits, athletics, academics, clubs, and organizations, making your book truly yours.

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Treering’s annual design contest celebrates the creativity, storytelling, and talent that make yearbooks meaningful. This year, we combined the contests for cover, custom pages, and spreads, creating our biggest challenge yet.

Your response was incredible.

Three groups of judges evaluated over 1,000 entries from parents and school leaders for

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

These winners showcase deeply personal moments in professional ways. They distinguished themselves by blending rigorous design fundamentals with a deep commitment to the student experience.

Grand prize winner: Garey High School, Pomona, CA

“This is how a student-athlete wants to be seen,” said one judge.

“It defines ‘main character energy,’” said another.

This spread was bold. It was confident. As a divider, the layout transforms student-athletes into larger-than-life figures through dramatic portraiture, layered graphics, and poster-inspired composition. 

And it almost didn’t happen.

Garey’s yearbook class was canceled. Talks of an online-only solution for the 2025-2026 school year were circulating. Recognizing that someone, somehow, would still have to create the book, first-year adviser Kara Montgomery-Roa took over the yearbook club with a brand-new staff. She was also new to photography and to Treering.

The club took the game day photos across the top. Montgomery-Roa held media day photoshoots and took the posed images across the bottom. 

The senior-focused photoshoots originated as a fundraiser for the yearbook club. “I ended up offering the option to our sports teams as a free media day because they were so happy to see themselves,” Montgomery-Roa said. (They made money doing hotdog sales instead.)

After using free online tools to remove the backgrounds, she “used Treering editing, especially spray paints, smoke effects, and lots of trial-and-error layers to achieve the effects.”

Garey’s yearbook went from almost not happening to doubling in sales. And that’s what meaningful coverage does.

Runner up: CHESS Christian School, Springboro, OH

A masterclass in visual organization and design discipline, CHESS demonstrated the power of strong fundamentals. 

1. Dominant photographs create immediate points of entry, secondary images support the story without competing for attention, and typography is carefully organized to guide readers through the content in a logical sequence
2. Every element has a purpose, and every purpose has a place. 
3. All photos show action and emotion, furthering the story

The result is a spread that feels balanced, readable, and professional without sacrificing energy or visual interest. 

“This is our title page leading into our winter sports section,” adviser Erin Fullam said. “We had so much happening that season that we wanted to get some team highlights on the lead-in spread.”

In many ways, Fullam’s team demonstrates why classic yearbook design principles continue to endure: they prioritize storytelling, readability, and reader experience. In a competition filled with ambitious concepts and experimental approaches, CHESS stood out by demonstrating just how powerful strong yearbook fundamentals can be when executed at the highest level.

Runner up: RFK School for the Visual Arts and Humanities, Los Angeles, CA

What judges appreciated most about RFK School for the Visual Arts and Humanities' baseball spread was its ability to balance thematic consistency with creative independence. As part of a yearbook built with the theme “Scrapbook Memories,” student Miguel Chavez-Juarez embraced the handmade, collected feel of a scrapbook while still developing a visual identity uniquely suited to the baseball team.

As a member of the baseball team, Chavez-Juarez took most of the photos on the spread from the dugout. He interviewed his teammates and created the stickers. 

“You have to throw elements around and see what works to convey a message,” he said.

“[Chavez-Juarez] is in the CTE Animation pathway, which means he has work-based learning and technical skills,” yearbook adviser Andy Hwang said. “He was able to transfer some of these graphic design and photography skills to yearbook, which is a standalone elective course.”

In a yearbook where every spread was uniquely designed rather than built from a template, this entry showed how a consistent theme can unite a book without limiting creative expression. The result is a spread with a clear connection between concept and content.

Runner up: Vanguard Rembrandt Secondary, Pharr, TX

The wow factor of this design comes from its technical proficiency. The intentional layout decisions showcase the behind-the-scenes work that goes into building a yearbook. Every element feels intentional, from the alignment of content and balance of white space to the careful organization of photography.

Created within a CTE program where students earn Adobe Certified Professional and progress to Adobe Visual Designer, the layout demonstrates how professional-level training can be applied to tell meaningful stories about a school community. The yearbook is the final portfolio piece for graphic design seniors.

“I treat it like a real-life studio,” adviser Kereen Rodriguez said. “Students get to really come out of their comfort zone and work with customers (teachers or other students), we problem solve as a team, and definitely a breakthrough to their own creative cave.”

While the spread highlights the yearbook program's technical capabilities, its greatest strength is that those skills are consistently used in the service of the students being featured.

Honorable mentions

As you can see, the judges consistently rewarded authentic representation over decoration and storytelling over trends. We are proud to showcase the top entries to represent the creativity, passion, and student-centered connections that preserve school memories beyond a social feed.

Treering’s annual design contest celebrates the creativity, storytelling, and talent that make yearbooks meaningful. This year, we combined the contests for cover, custom pages, and spreads, creating our biggest challenge yet.

Your response was incredible.

Three groups of judges evaluated over 1,000 entries from parents and school leaders for

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

Connections to the communities they feature became the overarching message from the top ten spread submissions. The winners emerged because they transformed school coverage into student-centric narratives. Rather than showcasing school traditions, these top spreads preserved them.

Grand prize winner: James C. Neill Elementary School, Richmond, TX

“It ticks all the boxes,” one judge said as she identified the use of hierarchy of text and the modular design. Everyone else leaned in during the final round and started calling out additional details:

• Herd colors around group photos
• Number of students pictured
• Consistent subheadlines and copy size
• Playful tone that feels age-appropriate

The spread teaches something while entertaining. The consistent visual language becomes part of the narrative explaining Neill’s version of the Ron Clark House System. Since their mascot is the Longhorn, they round up students into Herds to build connections across grades and encourage positive behavior.

“It was the most challenging spread in the book,” parent volunteer Jennifer Griffiths said.

Because so much happens during the school day that parents don’t see, she designed the whole yearbook with the family in mind. She intentionally paired photography with concise, purposeful copy to help readers understand what they were seeing and why it mattered.

On a single spread, she successfully explained Herd lunches, the "Leader of P.A.C." recognition program, herd identities and colors, and the P.R.I.D.E. values that connect them all. Every design element worked together to support the story.

“I think it paints a clear picture of how [the Herd System] all works,” Griffiths said.

Runner up: MST Magnet, Richardson, TX

Judges praised the spread for organizing a large amount of information. The overlapping edges create depth and visual interest, making it feel immersive. The details made us engage with the page rather than simply scan it.

Most importantly, the consistent card structure brings order to what could have become design chaos. Repetition creates a clear visual framework, while variations in photography, card details, and special character cards keep the spread engaging from start to finish.

The trading cards themselves began as a celebration of the district-wide faculty and staff kickball games and a fundraiser for the faculty and staff end-of-year fund. Designed by STEM Specialist Katy McDonald and printed in the district printing office, they became a phenomenon. Students traded them. The school had to do at least four print runs. Card 67 was in high demand, as were the two “rare” mascot cards featuring Shadow the white tiger

As PTA Yearbook Vice Chair, professional photographer, and one of the creative leaders behind the book's overall visual direction, Jen Betrand recognized that the trading card craze had become an important part of the school year. 

PTA dad and yearbook co-editor Brandon Baker “designed [the spread] to feel nostalgic and interactive, as if the cards had been scattered across a dining room table during an afternoon of trading with friends.”

What was a placeholder for a staff feature became a moment in time: Baker and Betrand revitalized the traditional “here are the teachers” approach. 

"We wanted viewers to feel invited into the experience," Baker said.

Runner up: Clinton Elementary School, Maplewood, NJ

This design relies on a strong grid structure that creates immediate organization while allowing each student's personality to shine.

First-time editor Leslie Torre said, “I saw the page laid out in my head.”

Rather than overwhelming the page with decorative elements, Torre’s design uses repetition strategically to create a cohesive look that feels polished and energetic:

• She used the theme color palette to create a diagonal pattern (Treering’s Bauhaus theme kit)
• Teachers took the photos, and she converted them to black and white to account for any color differences
• She tightly cropped the photos so the students heads are in the same location, establishing a visual rhythm across the spread

The original photographs were part of a display showcasing the 5th graders' career goals. Torre added it to the book as part of their permanent record.

Runner up: Sea Girt Elementary School, Sea Girt, NJ

Judges noted that every element on Sea Girt Elementary’s athletic divider felt purposeful, contributing to a cohesive aesthetic that elevated the story beyond a standard sports feature. They explored the layered objects and intentional props. Strong composition, thoughtful use of scale, and attention to detail give the photorealistic layout depth, while the consistent visual treatment ties the entire spread together. 

Photographer Doreen Werdann created the athletics cards for teams. She featured rookies, 7th and 8th graders, and coaches; this spread is a small part of the collection.

Werdann uploaded the cards to the Treering app, and Yearbook coordinator Kristy DeCresce helped make it more photorealistic by adding shadows and elements such as trading card sleeves, chips, and elements you’d see on a student’s desk. Their memorabilia-inspired approach presented the cards as cherished keepsakes rather than mere participant records.

It was easy to imagine this scene in any Sea Girt student’s home.

Honorable mentions

As you can see, the judges consistently rewarded authentic representation over decoration and storytelling over trends. We are proud to showcase the top entries to represent the creativity, passion, and student-centered connections that preserve school memories beyond a social feed.

‍

Treering’s annual design contest celebrates the creativity, storytelling, and talent that make yearbooks meaningful. This year, we combined the contests for cover, custom pages, and spreads, creating our biggest challenge yet.

Your response was incredible.

Three groups of judges evaluated over 1,000 entries from parents and school leaders for

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

The winning school spirit cover designs transformed their communities’ experiences into visual stories that could only belong there: if we traded out the school names, the covers wouldn’t work. Each is rooted in a unique culture and tradition.

Grand prize winner: M.C. Riley Elementary School & Early Childhood Center, Bluffton, SC

The judges believed this cover succeeded because it felt less like a yearbook cover and more like a mural. Built entirely from original student artwork, the design transforms student-created illustrations with a pop art treatment to create unity across the individual contributions.

With the school’s theme of “Leading in the Lowcountry” as their compass, students created a visual tribute that connects Riley’s history, community, and namesake.

“Our school's namesake, Mr. Michael C. Riley is featured on the front cover to honor our newest school tradition, MCR Week, which helps students, staff and the greater community understand his impact on life in Bluffton, South Carolina through research,” Alumni Association and Parent Liaison Sabrina Copeland said. 

Runner up: Marfa High School, Marfa, TX

The localization of the cover details stood out to the judging panel on Marfa’s entry. Every detail feels intentional, from the worn corner treatment that mimics a notebook carried throughout the Texas K-12 school year after year. It’s distressed from being shoved in a backpack. It’s decorated with local sites and businesses. It’s Marfa purple and rich in community.

To create their original cover, yearbook students collected artifacts from around the school: vintage 70s and 80s enamel lapel pins, a press pass, stickers students had on hand, a poster in the hallway, the corner of a bent composition book, and more.

“We were like little magpies,” adviser Adele Powers said.

Under Powers’ art direction, students photographed the items, converted them to transparent PNGs, and uploaded them to the Treering app. They added drop shadows and experimented with size and placement to create this photorealistic cover.

Again, rich in student voice, this could only be Marfa’s. 

Runner up: Montera Middle School, Oakland, CA

Undeniably, this cover was pure student voice. During judging, there was considerable discussion about how much personality the cover contained. Every character contributes to the story, creating a sense of community while allowing viewers to discover new details with each look. 

Rather than focusing on a single symbol or mascot, the cover celebrates the people who make the Montera unique. From the marker lines of vibrant colors to the emotions and interactions depicted, we felt part of the Toro community. 

“Every person is a real person,” yearbook coordinator Melita Juresa-McDonald said as she pointed out the art teacher, the science teacher, and even the thirteen-year-old artist (she’s holding the red notebook). 

Juresa-McDonald’s yearbook club chose it as the winner in the school-wide art contest.

Now that her son is promoting to high school, she’ll no longer run two the lunchtime yearbook clubs. 

Juresa-McDonald said, “I’m leaving them with a gift.”

Runner up: Springbridge International School, San Jose, CA

At first glance, it would be easy to miss how a stunningly textured tree with owls is a story. We’re thankful the yearbook team invited us in. 

Springbridge approached school spirit through place, memory, and shared experience. Centered around the school's beloved playground tree, the cover transforms a familiar campus landmark into a symbol of community, growth, and belonging.

Yearbook club students worked with club leader Mitzi Sampson, who happens to be a professional artist, to develop their concept.

They sketched branches on whiteboards, which she scanned, and using her iPad and Adobe Fresco, painted the tree to match the Treering theme kit “Leaving an Impression.” They wanted a rich, Impressionistic painting as the cover to match the elements inside the book.

Under Sampson’s guidance, yearbook club students learned to trade “I don’t like it” for “This feels off.” They moved the tree from the front cover to the spine, since the tree is “the center of the school.” They researched their mascot, the owl, and created eight iterations in various sizes to fill the branches (representing students in K-8 grades). Student art direction included “gentle beaks” to remove the predatory nature of the owls and heads facing different ways.

Sampson said, “Owls have long symbolized wisdom, curiosity, observation, and learning—qualities we hope our students carry with them as they grow.” 

Springbridge is a Mandarin- and Japanese-immersion school. Their uniforms align with Japanese-style traditions, and students wear hats in yellow, green, and blue, leading up to kindergarten. They acknowledge their roots in a way we can see.

“The students specifically chose the hat colors for the cover because they feel nostalgic about their earliest years at the school,” Sampson said.

Judges appreciated the restraint and intentionality of the design. Rather than relying on photographs, mascots, or slogans, Springbridge’s cover tells a deeply personal story about the people, place, and traditions that define the school community.

Honorable mentions

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As you can see, the judges consistently rewarded authentic representation over decoration and storytelling over trends. We are proud to showcase the top entries to represent the creativity, passion, and student-centered connections that preserve school memories beyond a social feed.

‍

Treering’s annual design contest celebrates the creativity, storytelling, and talent that make yearbooks meaningful. This year, we combined the contests for cover, custom pages, and spreads, creating our biggest challenge yet.

Your response was incredible.

Three groups of judges evaluated over 1,000 entries from parents and school leaders for

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

Many yearbook creators define theme as an aesthetic. We believe they are both visual and verbal. The strongest entries didn’t just look beautiful. They captured the spirit of their schools through headlines, repeating visual elements, and coverage.

Bottom line: the spreads in each of yearbooks below reinforce the story that began on the cover. 

Grand prize winner: “Gallery”
Johnson Creek High School, Johnson Creek, WI

What impressed the judges wasn’t just the technical execution: it was the discipline. 

Cover designer, junior Sophia Lawrence, created 200 images by hand. The yearbook team snapped the portraits of students and staff. Lawrence used Photoshop to convert each into a negative image and used the theme color palette to create the front, and reversing the image to create the panels on the back.

The cover features every student and full-time teacher in the school. It took four months and 600 layers to create. 

Their “Gallery” theme became more than a visual concept: it became the framework for the whole book. They curated content and framed the highlights of the school year in an exhibition of the Johnson Creek Community.

Each grade had a class color defined by the theme. Standouts, club photos, and athletic features repeated the familiar color chip aesthetic. The yearbook team demonstrated consistency throughout the yearbook and showed advanced photo editing skills without the use of AI.

The bold color creates energy and is balanced by high-contrast black-and-white images, making students the focal point.

Adviser Ryan Molley’s 11 yearbook students do not meet together in a formal class period or club session. Instead, they independently work in his classroom while he teaches his core subjects. 

“We are making artifacts that are beautiful,” Molley said.

Runner up: “All That & More”
Northern High School, Durham, NC

The use of color gives an initial “wow” moment, followed by clear design hierarchy and visual treatment of the ampersand. By using the faces of the students who fill the pages, the cover doesn’t depend on stock images or Treering graphics. The bold text functions like a challenge: open the book and we’ll prove it. (And they totally did!)

Adviser Lauren Casteen and her editorial board brainstormed over the summer to capture the story of who really walks the halls. In their audit, they realized they are surrounded by “Renaissance people” because their classmates are involved in many activities

The four students on the back cover embody this: an every season athlete, an ROTC student in the band, a sorority sister-slash-soccerplayer-slash-dancer, and an early grad.

What a still image does not show: UV gloss text with some of the identities Northern High students hold, such as Theta, historian, graduate, and brother.

The question became: how do we show that? The short answer: maximalism.

They wanted every page to feel full, and Casteen pushed them to have boundaries and remember design rules still need to have a place. The editors responded by researching the maximalist movement and creating a style guide to support “over the top” graphics and layering. They employed

1. White space
2. Limited color palette
3. Clean fonts (exceptions: headlines and stylized pull quotes)
4. Textures, fills, and mixed media

Northern High School's cover is proof that successful yearbook design isn't determined by budget, software, or equipment. It's determined by vision, creativity, and the willingness to keep refining an idea until it works. The result is a cover that feels both ambitious and deeply personal.

Runner up: “Untitled” 
Waldorf School Orange County, Costa Mesa, CA

Senior Doris Zhang created the cover depicting a toddler, child, and teen doodling. There are fingerpaintings, eraser marks, and hatching. On the first few passes, the judges thought it was a composite of multiple classes rather than a single student’s creation.

We were never so glad to be wrong.

“[Zhang’s] concept, design, and execution of the 2025–26 yearbook cover stand as a shining example of the lasting impact that artistic integration can have on a student’s confidence, vision, and relationship with art,” adviser Kathy Christian said.

The spreads within begin with parent-infant classes, progress through elementary, middle, and high school grades, and finish with the faculty guides. The organization itself mirrors the journey Zhang began in the cover.

“Yearbook is a visual showcase of what students do, not what students do best,” said Christian, who recognizes the challenges of creating a yearbook for an audience that runs from infancy to 12th grade. 

The yearbook editorial team completes eight passes of the book to ensure students are in their class portraits and have their art showcased. Their goal is to showcase the journey of progression over time.

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Runner up: “To the New Era”
Cesar E. Chavez High School, Delano, CA

Adviser Karen Hernandez said she didn’t know where to begin as a first-year adviser. The students came up with theme projects which they pitched to the class. The top four went on a Google Form and “To the New Era” won.

At the time, the concept was difficult to develop. They wrestled with it and eventually changed the yearbook theme to “Off Script,” which visually had a 90s ‘zine aesthetic. 

Mid-year, they got the news: the school will be renamed for the 2026-2027 school year. Again, they pivoted. The news became the catalyst for their original theme: now, there was a story.

“This is a send off,” Hernandez said.

The winning cover submission was the fourth iteration, and featured some of the original concepts, including the mascot photo which a yearbook student took.

Judges praised cover elements such as the diagonal bar projecting upward movement, school colors, and the gold leaf, all of which appear throughout the book—even the index is stunning and connects to the cover. 

Visually, it was a celebration of Cesar Chavez High School’s community. And that won’t change with a new name.

As you can see, the judges consistently rewarded authentic representation over decoration and storytelling over trends. We are proud to showcase the top entries to represent the creativity, passion, and student-centered connections that preserve school memories beyond a social feed.

‍

Treering’s annual design contest celebrates the creativity, storytelling, and talent that make yearbooks meaningful. This year, we combined the contests for cover, custom pages, and spreads, creating our biggest challenge yet.

Your response was incredible.

Three groups of judges evaluated over 1,000 entries from parents and school leaders for

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

In the elementary student art category, the top entries were not over-designed. Quickly a trend in the top designs emerged: collaborative pieces celebrated community. These handcrafted images felt human and truly owned by the students they reflect. 

Grand prize winner: All Saints Catholic School, Lewiston, ID‍

Zooming in on this cover, the judges drew a collective breath. Brush strokes, raw paper edges, newsprint, and layer upon layer emerged from the collective art piece that formed All Saints Catholic School’s cover.

The base

‍Third and fourth graders created the colorful canvas for the foundation.

Students also drew an outline of the school, which they cleaned up and painted using digital tools.

The mascot

‍Others studied different pictures of a husky and created an outline using what they deemed ideal qualities (tail curvature, facial expression, etc.). 

“Pattern pieces were created out of the different areas of color, then the students cut out an excessive amount of individual pieces of scrapbooking paper to create the base colors on the dog,” adviser Miranda Green, who is also the school’s art teacher, said.

Green and the students compiled the pieces (one paint, one digital, one torn paper) using Photoshop, uploaded the artwork to Treering, and added the copy. 

The result is a blended mixed media piece of art deeply rooted in school identity. 

Runner up: Burgin Elementary School, Arlington, TX

Judges called out “extreme inclusion,” “it celebrates how students see themselves,” and “coverage goals” when they saw the 350 hand-drawn self-portraits on the cover of Burgin Elementary’s cover. You can see PK artists, 6th graders, and every student in between. The grid system kept it from being overwhelming and the variation of color and style kept us looking.

“I wanted it to be all about the kids,” yearbook coordinator Cole Perrine said.

Perrine has every yearbook from his school days. He couldn’t wait to start the tradition with his daughter for her first year of school. Then he discovered that Burgin’s PTA hadn’t had a yearbook for a decade. And they didn’t have a PTA. So he helped initiate both.

As a professional in film and television, he emphasized the craft over using AI to create the yearbook. His yearbook club students created their own layouts. They took candid photos and worked with staff to crowdsource submissions. 

Perrine also worked with the art teacher to develop the school-wide portrait project. Using their yearbook portraits as inspiration, students developed their own, which Perrine scanned in batches of 10, downloaded them to his computer, and repeated. His wife created the layout for both cover panels.

The students celebrated with the first-ever yearbook signing party on campus.

“Yearbook was everything when I was in school,” Perrine said. 

Runner up: Maplebrook Elementary, Naperville, IL

Looking at the cover, it feels like a yearbook about making things. Yearbook coordinator Emily Tonon adapted the Treering “Collage” theme kit to reflect students’ creativity by featuring classroom artifacts, sketches, artwork, and the art instructor who inspired it all.

It feels like a vision board. Layers, mixed media graphics, and multiple focal points invite visual exploration. Maplebrook Elementary’s cover told us they are a school that values creativity, experimentation, and student expression.

Inspired by art installations on campus, Tonon brought them in the book. Beyond the cover, she created student art features throughout the yearbook as another way to cover students and the work they do.

Runner up: Olita Elementary, La Habra, CA

Judges fell in love with the details: shadows from the cacti, spines in all directions, use of negative space, strong readability, and “Olita” spelled out with the lasso. The student creator hand drew the art on his iPad.

PTA president Christie Fisher continued the 25-year tradition of having 6th graders create the cover art. The submissions are blind judged and they must include Ollie the owl and the school year theme, “Saddle up for excellence.”

This cover conveys the school's personality and demonstrates student ownership.

As you can see, the judges consistently rewarded authentic representation over decoration and storytelling over trends. We are proud to showcase the top entries to represent the creativity, passion, and student-centered connections that preserve school memories beyond a social feed.

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The annual Treering Yearbook Design Contests celebrate creativity from schools and families across the country. This year, we’ve made them one celebration of storytelling and design. Advisers, parents, and school staff can submit their best yearbook covers, spreads, and custom pages for a chance to win prizes, be featured in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book, and inspire schools across the country. 

Whether you're designing the official school yearbook and aiming for a show-stopping cover, or you're a family creating custom pages that capture your student's unique memories, this is your opportunity to share your best work.

Your designs deserve to be seen.

Contest entry period: May 18-June 3, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT

Incomplete entries and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

‍Eligibility

• Entrants must be 18 years or older
• Must be affiliated with a US Treering school for the 2025–2026 school year
• No purchase is necessary to enter

‍Categories

Cover design

Submit your school’s yearbook cover design in one of the following:

• Elementary art
• Theme or visual identity
• School spirit

Limit: one cover submission per school

‍Yearbook spread

Submit a two-page yearbook spread that showcases your design work

‍Custom pages

Submit a two-page custom page spread created for an individual student

‍How to enter

To enter the yearbook design contest:

1. Go to the entry form at contests.treering.com
2. Select your category: cover, spread, or custom pages
3. Upload your design
4. Complete the submission form

All entries must include:

• A clear screenshot of the design in JPEG or PNG format
• Optional description of your design
• Treering school name
• Contact information
• Entrant role
• Confirmation of age (18+)
• Acknowledge the media release

Incomplete entries will not be accepted

Submission requirements

• Designs must be created for the 2025–2026 school year
• Images must clearly show the full design:
  
  • Cover: front and back
  • Spread: two-facing pages
• Custom pages: two-facing pages
• Entries must be submitted through the official contest form

‍Judging and selection

A panel of graphic designers, yearbook advisers, and marketing pros will review all eligible submissions.

Entries will be evaluated based on:

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

Judging will occur in multiple rounds, including shortlist selection and final review.

‍Winners

Six grand prize winners will be selected in the following categories:

• Cover design:
  
  • Elementary art (1)
  • Theme or visual identity (1)
  • School spirit (1)
• Yearbook spread
  
  • K-8 (1)
  • K-12, high school (1)
• Custom pages (1)

Additional finalists will be recognized

Prizes

Cover and spread grand prize winners (school)

• DSLR camera (grand prize)
• 10 free yearbooks for 26-27
• Feature in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book
• Spotlight on Treering blog and social channels

Cover and spread grand runners-up (school)

• $50 gift card
• 3 free yearbooks for 26-27
• Feature in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book

Custom pages grand prize winner (family)

• $300 gift card
• Feature in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book
• Spotlight on Treering blog and social channels

Custom pages runners-up (family)

• $50 gift card
• Feature in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book

‍Winner notification

Winners will be notified via phone and email. Eligibility must be confirmed prior to the formal winner announcement, June 15–21, 2026.

Winners may be required to provide additional materials for promotional use.

‍Release

By submitting an entry, you confirm you have permission to use all images and content included and grant Treering the right to use your submission, name, and school for marketing purposes. This includes, but is not limited to website/blog, social media, press releases, the Treering Idea Library, and other marketing materials.

This includes use without additional compensation.

Additional terms:

• Treering reserves the right to disqualify incomplete or duplicate entries
• Decisions made by the judging panel are final
• A list of winners and finalists will appear on Treering’s blog during the announcement period, June 15–21, 2026

‍FAQs

Do I need social media to enter?
‍No, social media is not required to participate

‍When is the deadline to enter?
‍All entries must be submitted by June 3, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT. Incomplete entries will not be considered.

‍Can I submit more than one entry?
‍Custom pages and yearbook spreads: yes
Covers: limited to one per school

‍I designed a yearbook spread, but I’m not 18. Can I still enter?
‍Students can participate if a parent, adviser, or school staff member submits the entry on their behalf. Prizes for the cover and spread designs will be awarded to the school.

‍Do I need to purchase a yearbook to enter the design contest?
‍No purchase is necessary to enter.

‍When will winners be announced?
Winners will be announced between June 15–21, 2026

‍How will winners be notified?
‍Treering’s marketing team will contact the winners by email and phone to confirm eligibility prior to announcing the winners. A complete list of winners will be on Treering’s blog June 21, 2026.

‍Will other entries be featured?
‍Yes, top entries may also be featured in the Idea Book, blog, or social media at Treering’s discretion. Please review the media release.

‍How will I receive my prizes?
‍Treering will ship the DSLR cameras directly to the school. All gift cards will be sent digitally to the email address on the submission form. Free yearbook codes will be placed in the school’s 26-27 Treering account by Friday, October 2.

‍Can I edit my submission after I enter?
‍No, submissions may not be edited after submission. Duplicate submissions will not be considered.

The annual Treering Yearbook Design Contests celebrate creativity from schools and families across the country. This year, we’ve made them one celebration of storytelling and design. Parents and school staff can submit their best custom pages for a chance to win prizes, be featured in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book, and inspire families across the country. 

If you're a family creating custom pages that capture your student's unique memories, this is your opportunity to share your best work.

Your designs deserve to be seen.

Contest entry period: May 18-June 3, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT

Incomplete entries and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Eligibility

• Entrants must be 18 years or older
• Must be affiliated with a US Treering school for the 2025–2026 school year
• No purchase is necessary to enter

Categories

Custom pages

Submit a two-page custom page spread created for an individual student

How to enter

To enter the yearbook design contest:

1. Go to the entry form at contests.treering.com
2. Select custom pages as your category
3. Upload your design
4. Complete the submission form

All entries must include:

• A clear screenshot of the design in JPEG or PNG format
• Optional description of your design
• Treering school name
• Contact information
• Entrant role
• Confirmation of age (18+)
• Acknowledge the media release

Incomplete entries will not be accepted

Submission requirements

• Designs must be created for the 2025–2026 school year
• Custom pages: two-facing pages
• Entries must be submitted through the official contest form

Judging and selection

A panel of graphic designers, yearbook advisers, and marketing pros will review all eligible submissions.

Entries will be evaluated based on:

• Design quality
• Storytelling
• Visual impact
• Relevance to content

Judging will occur in multiple rounds, including shortlist selection and final review.

Winners

There will be one grand prize winner; additional finalists will be recognized

Prizes

Custom pages grand prize winner (family)

• $300 gift card
• Feature in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book
• Spotlight on Treering blog and social channels

Custom pages runners-up (family)

• $50 gift card
• Feature in Treering’s 2026 Idea Book

‍Winner notification

Winners will be notified via phone and email. Eligibility must be confirmed prior to the formal winner announcement, June 15–21, 2026. Winners may be required to provide additional materials for promotional use.

‍Release

By submitting an entry, you confirm you have permission to use all images and content included and grant Treering the right to use your submission, name, and school for marketing purposes. This includes, but is not limited to website/blog, social media, press releases, the Treering Idea Library, and other marketing materials.

This includes use without additional compensation.

Additional terms:

• Treering reserves the right to disqualify incomplete or duplicate entries
• Decisions made by the judging panel are final
• A list of winners and finalists will appear on Treering’s blog during the announcement period, June 15–21, 2026

‍FAQs

Do I need social media to enter?
‍No, social media is not required to participate

‍When is the deadline to enter?
‍All entries must be submitted by June 3, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT. Incomplete entries will not be considered.

‍Can I submit more than one entry?
‍Custom pages: yes

‍I designed a custom page spread, but I’m not 18. Can I still enter?
‍Students can participate if a parent submits the entry on their behalf. 

‍Do I need to purchase a yearbook to enter the design contest?
‍No purchase is necessary to enter.

‍When will winners be announced?
‍Winners will be announced between June 15–21, 2026

‍How will winners be notified?
‍Treering’s marketing team will contact the winners by email and phone to confirm eligibility prior to announcing the winners. A complete list of winners will be on Treering’s blog June 21, 2026.

‍Will other entries be featured?
‍Yes, top entries may also be featured in the Idea Book, blog, or social media at Treering’s discretion. Please review the media release.

‍How will I receive my prizes?
‍All gift cards will be sent digitally to the email address on the submission form. 

‍Can I edit my submission after I enter?
‍No, submissions may not be edited after submission. Duplicate submissions will not be considered.

‍

Parents, your 2025 memories deserve the spotlight! Share your funniest, proudest, or sweetest moment and tag @TreeringCorp and use #Treering2025Memories for a chance to win something for you.

Three winners will take home a one spa day, treat box, or a week of coffee on us. Your memory might be featured on our page!

Eligibility

• U.S. parents or legal guardians, 18+
• No purchase necessary

Treering Memories contest entry period

• Starts Monday, December 15, 2025, at 8:00 AM PT
• Ends Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT

Steps to enter

1. Follow @TreeringCorp on Instagram
2. Share a funny, proud, or sweet memory from 2025 on your Feed or Story (must be a public profile to be visible)
3. Tag @TreeringCorp
4. Use #Treering2025Memories

Winner selection and notification

Treering's social team will select the winners based on creativity and originality. Winners will be announced on Instagram during contest week.

Prizes

Three winners total will receive one of the following:

• Spa / self-care gift card
• Delivered treat box
• Coffee for the week

Release

By sharing your photo, you have verified the approval of the original photographer and anyone pictured, and you approve Treering to use your name, write-up, and school name for any marketing purposes, including but not limited to treering.com, social media, and mass media.

Additional information

• Content must be appropriate for all audiences

Contest not sponsored by Instagram

With Proclamation 5703, former President Ronald Reagan made yearbooks even more celebration-worthy by setting apart the first week of October for “appropriate ceremonies and activities” to recognize the creators and the power of a yearbook program. Treering intends to do just that during National School Yearbook Week, October 6-10, 2025.

Download the 2025 schedule

This National School Yearbook Week, we will crack the code on yearbook design, sales, and organization. Here’s your briefing.

‍Yearbook confidential: your briefing

Yearbook creators will have declassified access to live training, photo contests, and giveaways. (If you’re super in love with the vibe, check out the Top Secret theme that just dropped for your yearbook.)

‍Yearbook contests

There are six ways to win: one week-long yearbook Bingo game and five daily Facebook giveaways. 

‍Monday, October 6

Bingo begins. Download your unique bingo card and play along. We’ll “call” words via Meta stories (see them on Facebook and Instagram). The first verified Bingo winner will receive a Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR camera with an 18-55mm lens. Get the full Bingo rules here.

Additionally, yearbook creators can share their favorite fall photo to our “Operation Autumn Aesthetic” Facebook photo contest. The strongest storytelling photo will win a $50 gift card.

‍Tuesday, October 7

Share your insider ideas for photo organization on our daily Facebook giveaway post. HQ (aka Treering’s marketing department) will reward one adviser at random with a $50 gift card.

Meta stories for our week-long Bingo game will continue.

‍Wednesday, October 8

Another $50 gift card is up for grabs. We want to see your yearbook squad. The most creative team photo wins the daily Facebook post challenge. 

If a verified Bingo winner has not come forward, we will increase the calls. 

‍Thursday, October 9

Share your yearbook space, class, or desk on our daily Facebook post for the chance to win. The type-A, TikTok-inspired, and completely unhinged–we want to see them all.

‍Friday, October 10

Close National School Yearbook Week 2025 with your best sales tips or ideas for a chance to score a $50 gift card on our Facebook post.

‍Live training

Treering Live (TRL) is Treering’s flagship event. During National School Yearbook Week, TRL will have all the design training, coveted prizes, and organization inspiration that yearbook advisers have come to expect. 

‍What to expect at Treering Live: not-so-top-secret training

With your free registration, Treering Live: Yearbook Confidential features 19 sessions over two days. The programming spans from adviser basics to an interactive photography session. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join HQ for intel, ideas, and a little undercover fun. 

The schedule, like Treering, is fully customizable. 

‍Tuesday sessions

1:00 pm PT: Opening session

1:10 pm PT: Session 1 - choose one session to attend

• Top 10 questions new advisers ask
• Yearbook design trends
• Teaching yearbook: curriculum overview

1:50 pm PT: Session 2 - choose one breakout session to attend

• Live demo: portraits
• Adviser roundtable

2:30 pm PT: Session 3  - choose one breakout session to attend

• Photo tips
• Live demo: yearbook style guides
• Getting more students in the book

3:10 pm PT: Session 4 - choose one breakout session to attend

• Anatomy of a yearbook 
• Teaching yearbook: theme

3:45 pm PT: Closing session 

Wednesday sessions

1:00 pm PT: Opening session

1:10 pm PT: Session 1 - choose one breakout session to attend

• Building your team: yearbook jobs and recruitment 
• Treering design tools
• Photo journalism (interactive session)

1:50 pm PT: Session 2 - choose one breakout session to attend

• Yearbook mistakes to avoid
• Live demo: upgrading portrait pages

2:30 pm PT: Session 3  - choose one breakout session to attend

• Top 10 questions parents ask
• Live demo: from good to great

3:10 pm PT: Session 4 - choose one breakout session to attend

• Live demo: page templates
• Teaching yearbook: writing

3:45 pm PT: Closing session 

All sessions will be available on the Yearbook Club Replay, so you can re-watch those a-ha moments and catch any sessions you missed through May 2026.

‍

Mission parameters: bingo rules and FAQs

The National School Yearbook Week 2025 Bingo winner must be 18 or older and a Primary Chief Editor or Chief Editor at a US Treering school for the 2025-2026 school year. No purchase is necessary to participate.

By participating, you approve Treering to use your name, write-up, and school name for any marketing purposes, including but not limited to treering.com, social media, and mass media.

1. How do I get my bingo card?

On Monday, October 6, each player will receive an email to download a card. Each one is a unique card with a number. Save your card—you’ll need it to claim a win.

2. How will clues be called?

A third-party Bingo randomizer will randomly select words, which will be announced via Meta stories (Facebook and Instagram) and in the Zoom Events lobby during Treering Live.

3. How do I mark my card?

Print your card or track digitally. Mark off words as they are called. 

4. What counts as a bingo?

We are playing classic Bingo: a straight line of five words (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal).

5. How do I claim a win?

Email marketing@treering.com immediately with your name, Treering school, and card number. The first valid email received is the winner.

6. What happens after I email my win?

We’ll verify your card against our called words. The first valid email received is the winner.

7. Can more than one person win?

No, only the first verified winner counts.

8. What if I lose my card?

No problem, just download your card again. You may have missed some words; jump on our socials to get caught up.

9. How many rounds will we play?

There will be one round of Bingo from October 6-10, 2025.

10. What are the prizes?

The winner will receive a Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR camera with an 18-55mm lens. Treering will ship the camera directly to the school address associated with the winner’s Treering account.

11. Do I have to shout, “bingo?”

We aren’t going to stand in your way if you want to do the Bingo Boogie. Just remember to be the first to send an email marketing@treering.com with your name, Treering school,  and card number to claim the prize.

12. Can I play if I join late?

Yes! All of the words announced via Meta stories will remain for 24 hours. You’ll just start marking from the current clue onward. 

13. I’m a content creator. How can I share what I’m doing for National School Yearbook Week on social media?

Tag Treering Yearbooks (@treering on Facebook, @treeringcorp on Instagram and TikTok) and use the hashtags #NationalSchoolYearbookWeek, #NationalYearbookWeek, #YearbookWeek, #YearbookBingo

‍

Social contest rules

The National School Yearbook Week 2025 photo contest winners must be 18 or older and a member of a Treering school for the 2025-2026 school year. No purchase is necessary to participate.

Valid posts must include an original photo. No AI images allowed. By participating, you have verified the approval of others pictured, and you approve Treering to use your name, write-up, and school name for any marketing purposes, including but not limited to showcasing on www.treering.com, sharing on social media, and sharing with media.

The photo criteria will be based on its creativity, relevant emotional impact (humor is more than acceptable), and overall aesthetic appeal.

If you have any questions, contact us at marketing@treering.com.

‍

Nearly 30 years later, National School Yearbook Week remains a time to reminisce and a time to look forward, hopefully with a few wins for you and your yearbook program.

‍

In Treering’s inaugural Cover Design Contest, which—if we’re being real—was three concurrent contests, schools submitted their covers to one of three categories:

1. School Spirit – mascots, school colors, and anything else that shows off your community
2. Theme Development – an introduction to your visual and verbal theme
3. Elementary Student Art – original art by K-6 students

Our team explored over 300 submissions, and the ones that stood out introduced their theme on the front and back cover, then expanded it inside throughout the book. Each of the themes below are specific to the time and place in which they exist. While the concept may work for the school across town, the execution would not.

Grand Prize Winner: Easterbrook Discovery School, San Jose, CA

Theme: Once Upon a Time

This year was extra special. It’s EDS’ 20th anniversary and the tenth year in its building. These once in a lifetime moments became an obvious connection for the yearbook theme.

Pre-pandemic, a middle school yearbook club produced the book. The PTO wanted to continue to showcase student perspectives with a cover contest. “It celebrates creativity, individuality, and the shared ownership that makes our yearbook and our school so special,” said Bai-Lim.

This year, they gave little guidance: “Your design should relate to the ‘Once Upon a Time’ theme (e.g. fairy tales, dragons, fairies, wizards, enchanted creatures, etc.).” The faculty and staff chose the winning cover in an anonymous vote.

Winner Helena Kao created a design rich in symbolism:

• Castle: community, teachers, and parents that made our school a story worth telling
• Bricks: depicted fundraisers, music concerts, and field trips that were the building blocks to a safe and welcoming space for students to learn and grow
• Flags: the husky spirit that defines EDS
• Closed door: an end of a chapter for the graduating class of 2025
• Howling Husky: singing and celebrating the school it proudly represents

The cover art contest led to another “once” moment: ninety pieces of student art throughout the yearbook. “Each piece felt like part of the story of the school year,” said Bai-Lim, “and we didn’t want to leave that out.”

Bai-Lim’s team used a Treering vintage blue background, various story-inspired borders, and the lunchbox font for titles. She said, “Treering made it so easy to bring our ideas to life.”

The final five six

Blue Grass Elementary School, Knoxville, TN

Theme: A School of Pure Imagination

The sweet cover made us melt. (It’s a contest for a back to school ice cream bash with cool puns, how could we not go there?) What’s more, is the yearbook theme and the school’s theme were one.

The team at Blue Grass used “a school of pure imagination” to guide their year. It was a “perfect match for capturing the magic, curiosity, and creativity that define our school community,” yearbook chair Becky O’Hatnick said.

She and her team of parent volunteers sprinkled each page with “candy-colored hues” and created titles on candy wrappers and golden tickets.

“From cover to cover, our yearbook is a vibrant celebration of childhood wonder and the boundless possibilities of imagination,” O’Hatnick said.

Coronado Middle School, Coronado, CA

Theme: Golden Hour

This coastal school embraced their SoCal vibe by using the colors of the golden hour to progress through the book. The students studied the sun, and used it for theme copy: “At the end of each day, and each Golden Hour, the sun must set. This is an opportunity to begin anew, never forgetting the last chapter, but anticipating the beauty of the next.”

“The edges of the book had a gradient,” adviser Heidi Frampton said, “so that as you flipped through the book you would see the sunset colors.”

Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, Maywood, CA

Theme: A Piece of Us

Every single one of us has a mosaic of experiences that makes us who we are,” adviser Nora Torres said. Her team built on that concept by piecing together textures and colors to create the layered cover. The more you look at it, the more details emerge.

They brought their theme into the book by using graphic pieces, such as scrap paper, tape, and cut-out letters to accent the content. Divider pages, especially, looked as if they were hand-designed. To make it even more personal, the yearbook staff added “yerd* doodles” throughout the book.

*Yerd = yearbook nerd

Mt. Everett Regional School, Sheffield, MA

Theme: Ripping Through Tradition

Students chose to blend nostalgia and tech by using newspaper graphics at an angle to chronicle their year. It’s a “blend of past, present, and future,” said adviser Kari Giordano.

“This theme visually represented the senior class ‘shredding expectations,’” said Giordano, “and boldly stepping into the next phase of their lives.”

Philip Reilly Elementary, Mission Viejo, CA

Theme: Dive Into Learning

Yearbook chair Kristin Keller said she “created an underwater world where our theme could truly swim.”

From using circular photos as bubbles to adding sea-sational puns, her designs were focused. Keller used design hierarchy and contrast to keep each afloat in a sea of color.

Wilson Creek Elementary School, Duluth, GA

Theme: Wildcats Stick Together

At first glance, this cover was familiar. Then, we looked closer.

“This hybrid theme enhances the Treering-designed theme ‘Stick Together’ with totally unique Wilson Creek graphics and vibes that show off how Wilson Creek Wildcats learn, live, and laugh,” said yearbook co-chair Holly McCallum.

She designed the sticker pack to include interactions of the wildcat, WCES, and their anniversary crest. The brown paper background takes us back to the first day of school, when you’d cover your textbooks with grocery sacks. Considering this is Wilson Creek’s 20th anniversary, it’s an emotive design decision.

McCallum also added frames to photos to make them look like stickers and she added positive messages “to emphasize the creative spirit and collaborative dynamic” of her school community.

In Treering’s inaugural Cover Design Contest, which—if we’re being real—was three concurrent contests, schools submitted their covers to one of three categories:

1. School Spirit – mascots, school colors, and anything else that shows off your community
2. Theme Development – an introduction to your visual and verbal theme
3. Elementary Student Art – original art by K-6 students

Students created original yearbook covers using paint, AI, colored pencils, crayons, mixed media, digital media, and pen and ink. Yearbook committees gave prompts that were open-ended, fixed, and everything in between. While many submissions were the result of a yearbook cover art contest, others were collaborative projects. All were steeped in the tradition of promoting student perspectives and community. 

Grand prize winner: Peace Valley Charter School, Boise, ID

“Waldorf schools instill a deep respect for the natural world, fellow human beings, and the spiritual elements in all beings,” said 6th-grade teacher Nichole Murray, whose students compete annually in the yearbook cover contest.

Murray, PCVS dad Jason Ropp, and yearbook coordinator Gigi Murfitt display the entries in the hallways so all students can see them and begin to dream ahead for their chance in the cover contest. PCVS teachers choose the winners, and first and second place go on the outside cover. All cover contest submissions appear inside the book.

“The elements of nature are expressed, and our mascot, the otter, symbolizes intelligence, playfulness, resilience, and adaptability,” they said.

Both art pieces caught the judges' attention because they used similar colors and exceptional lighting–one judge kept exclaiming, “The shadows!” 

The. Shadows.

The cover art introduces outsiders to the Waldorf philosophy, especially how the art curriculum helps nurture imagination, emotional intelligence, and a well-rounded intellect.

“Our mascot, the otter, symbolizes intelligence, playfulness, resilience, and adaptability,” Murray said.

The final five

Ladera Ranch Elementary School, Ladera Ranch, CA

Fifth grader Fiona Martin captivated us with the color explosion and detail on her cover design. PTA president Joya Celik said the yearbook team at LRES asked the students to create a design incorporating their mascot “that reflected courage, perseverance, and attaining [their] goals.”

Their 2024-2025 school theme was “Go for the Gold.” Martin surely did just that.

Normandale Elementary School, Edina, MN

Yearbook team leads Lauren Dickerson and Becky Sertich created a collaborative project for 5th-grade students. Taking their inspiration from water bottles, Chromebooks, and everything else tweens touch, they asked students to create their own “sticker” design.

They “scanned and edited [each submission] to add a white border (like a sticker) and to make the background transparent so the ‘stickers’ could be arranged on the cover like clip-art.”

The result? An on-trend, completely original yearbook cover that shows the personalities and priorities of promoting students.

Strawberry Elementary, Santa Rosa, CA

This one is also collaborative: the front and back covers are creations from 6th graders and the local high school (shout out Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa) helped put it all together. The latter used AI design tools to expand the front cover art to wrap around to the back. On the back, they also created a composite of art.

“The high school students had originally envisioned a variety of student strawberries in the grass and eagles in the sky for this cover design,” yearbook coordinator Pamela Vincent said. “But [a] 6th grade student convinced them that one of the eagles could be arranged to carry a strawberry-filled basket.”

“In total, seven high school students and 11 elementary school students collaborated to make this cover a reality,” Vincent said.

Watchung Elementary School, Middlesex, NJ

Wrap-around cover, check. Multiple students’ art, check. This cover ticked all the boxes, and once we learned about the five-week process to create each self-portrait, we were even more in awe of what a PK-3 school produced.

“Students are placed in Polaroid frames to remind the third graders that no matter how much time goes by, their 3rd grade memories will remain the same,” Librarian Anne Erchicks said.

West Side Elementary School, Marietta, GA

The team at WSES made their 75th anniversary book an homage to late Principal Reid Brown's first yearbook theme. To convey “Shine Bright like a Diamond and Be the Best Bee You Can Be,” each student from kindergarten through 5th grade created their own bee and drew a diamond.

“Our yearbook team voted on using student art as the cover,” said yearbook coordinator Shelley Strack. “We also used the additional bees and diamonds throughout the yearbook as graphics.”

Strack and her team created contemporary art to celebrate Brown’s message. “I loved the use of new and old as a part of our yearbook,” she said.