As school’s start to open and classes begin, creating a yearbook might seem impossible during COVID-19.
Sports and clubs, school dances, field trips, graduation… These are just some of the events that we witnessed advisors try to modify or even cut out of their yearbook this past spring. Now as school starts again, our advisors are concerned that they will be facing this same challenge. With so much uncertainty for the school year, creating a traditional yearbook seems to be out of the question.
But there are still ways to fill your yearbooks pages!
Although previous spreads might not fit the style of your yearbook anymore, we are living in historic times that offer plenty of new ways to create your yearbook pages. Here are just a few ways our advisors are starting their yearbook projects – no matter where their classroom is this year. Be sure to also check out our Virtual Curriculum for working with your yearbook team remotely!
1. Crowd Sourced Photos
As we all face the same challenges together, we’ve learned that this is a time for community. Despite being apart, social media has made it super easy to share and collect pictures for your yearbook. Let everyone be part of your photography team by:
- Creating a private Facebook page to securely share photos from the school year
- Setting up photo categories for home work stations, virtual events, or stay-cations
- Utilizing the screenshot feature for remote classrooms on Zoom or Google Hangouts
Entourage has social media integration, making uploading photos from Facebook or Instagram the simplest way to organize your yearbook pictures. We also have Google Drive integration, making files easy to access within your yearbook account. You can also offer email or mobile app submissions for anyone who doesn’t have a social media account.
2. Highlight Student Stories
Let students share how COVID-19 has affected them personally by creating single page spreads for seniors or other groups of students. Even teachers can get involved! This is a great journalistic opportunity for your school community to write stories about:
Education: How have classes changed for you? Is online learning easier or harder? What’s your at-home set up look like?
School Life: What social activity do you miss doing the most? Have you started any new hobbies while quarantining? Show off your masks and at-home style!
Corona Coverage: What does “new normal” mean to you? How have the CDC guidelines affected your daily activities? Is your life different or the same from the spring versus the fall?
Our free EDOnline Ad Designer lets parents and students create their own pages for your yearbook. You can select any size ad, then charge for the designs to help fundraise or leave them open to allow for any ad design to be submitted. Entourage makes it easy to remotely approve and place ad designs directly into your yearbook.
3. Making Virtual Content
As we transition into more virtual interactions, why not add an advanced way to share our digital worlds? Yearbooks are more than just print, allowing for your creativity to really come to life! You can add new yearbook sections for:
- QR Codes: Share videos to dance challenges or websites for the best online gaming. Design the page with pre-made templates for COVID-19, Year in Review, and more!
- Polls: Ask and display fun questions like what song was on repeat this summer or a show you binge watched while staying home. Your school community is doing things differently, so why not ask them about their lives?
- Online Access: View your yearbook online and anywhere you go! Create flipbook photos to safely enjoy your yearbook virtually. This is a great option for everyone to view the yearbook while it’s being individually shipped.
You can easily make page spreads with your community through LiNK with Entourage Yearbooks. LiNK has the ability to create your own page URL where you can set up QR codes and polls. There’s even an online store to set up access for your eYearbook.
Something to keep in mind..
Your yearbook is the perfect way to capture your school’s unique memories, no matter how big or small they may be. Remember that people will be understanding that the yearbook might be modified or shortened this year. Whether we are together or apart, your community will always be there for you – and so will Entourage Yearbooks. Start your project today by clicking here, and learn how we can help build your book by clicking here.