ENTOURAGE NEXT GENERATION GRANT

Charlottesville, VA

“Our small but mighty yearbook staff works diligently to produce a professional-quality book that reflects our school and is accessible to the wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds we represent. 100% of our yearbook runs on donations. All of our camera equipment has been donated, and curriculum materials were given for free by the publisher as a reward for selling our maximum number of copies–meaning nearly all students were able to purchase a yearbook.
The Next Generation Grant from Entourage Yearbooks will help give our students and program the opportunity to grow where funds are not available.
We are extremely grateful for Entourage’s support of student journalism and yearbook accessibility for all families. Our students are proud to have received a Top 10% of Publications award for our work with a small staff in only the second year of having a full-time instructor. Every small win makes a big difference in our growing program. Every year, I see students step up and become excited about yearbook production, whether it is starting to practice photography in their own time or non-staffers being curious about the yearbook class. This grant allows us to invest in students rather than cutting pages, reducing coverage, and compromising our book quality.”

Kansas City, MO

“Our yearbook program is still in its early stages. In fact, this is only the second year of our student-led class and the third year of our school’s yearbook, which was created because the Class of 2024 advocated for a way to preserve and celebrate their experiences and perspectives in a lasting, meaningful way through a yearbook.
With this grant, we aim to equip our students with the tools they need to explore photography, multimedia, and design in a hands-on, creative way. This funding would allow us to purchase an additional DSLR camera, enabling our students to cover multiple school events simultaneously. We also plan to invest in professional photography equipment—including a lighting kit, backdrops, and stands to establish a small multimedia studio for both current and future projects.
When discussing the impact of this grant, one of our yearbook seniors, Kora, shared:
“With this grant, our yearbook class can expand what we are able to capture and create. Even though we are a smaller school, my fellow classmates take on big opportunities like applying for nationally recognized scholarships, engaging in real-world learning experiences, and building skills that prepare us for life after high school. For example, Olivia, a senior in our yearbook class, was selected as a finalist for the Gates Scholarship. With this equipment, we can better document achievements like hers and tell the stories that matter most to our community.”
This grant will empower our students to tell their stories in a richer, more creative way. We are proud and excited to be chosen as a Next Generation Grant recipient!”

- Jasmine Venerable, Yearbook Advisor & Kora B., Senior Yearbook Student

San Antonio, TX

“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Entourage Yearbooks for generously awarding us this grant. This funding will have a meaningful and lasting impact on our campus community here at Kingsborough, and we are truly thankful for the support of our yearbook program.

One of our primary goals each year is to make the school yearbook accessible to as many students as possible. We understand that for many families, the cost of extracurricular items like yearbooks can be a challenge. This grant will allow us to offset a portion of the production cost, helping us keep prices as low as possible so more students are able to purchase a copy. Yearbooks are more than just books—they are keepsakes that capture friendships, milestones, achievements, and memories that students will cherish long after they leave our campus. Ensuring that more students can take home those memories is extremely important to us.

In addition to helping reduce costs for students, this grant will allow our program to make a much-needed investment in our photography equipment. Specifically, we plan to use the funding to purchase a new camera lens, which will significantly improve the quality of our photos. Our students participate in a wide variety of activities throughout the year, including events and settings that can be challenging to photograph due to lighting, distance, or movement. Having the proper lens will give our yearbook staff the tools they need to capture clearer, sharper, and more professional images in all environments.

This equipment upgrade will not only improve the overall quality of our yearbook but will also provide our student photographers with valuable hands-on experience using professional-level tools. As a result, our students will gain skills and confidence while producing a yearbook that truly reflects the energy, spirit, and memories of our school year.

Thank you again to Entourage Yearbooks for believing in our program and investing in our students. Your support helps us preserve important moments, improve our resources, and create the best yearbooks possible for our Kingsborough community.”

Reno, NV

“My goal as an elementary school counselor is to make a meaningful and lasting impact at Echo Loder Elementary School. The primary way I do this is by building student relationships! These funds will be used to purchase counseling materials and evidence-based resources that support high-quality SEL lessons for students across grade levels. Having engaging, research-backed tools allows us to teach skills such as kindness, empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving in a way that is meaningful and developmentally appropriate. The materials will also help us create visually engaging bulletin boards that reinforce SEL concepts schoolwide, ensuring students see positive messages daily beyond the counseling classroom.

In addition, a portion of the funds will support our Kindness Club! These are some of our 5th graders who work hard each week to spread positivity throughout our school. Kindness Club members write about kindness, complete secret kindness missions where they intentionally do one kind act, and help distribute our PBIS incentives, called “Giddy Ups,” to students they see demonstrating kindness. These students lead by example and help create a culture where kindness is noticed, celebrated, and encouraged! To honor their hard work and leadership, we plan to use funds to celebrate them with an end-of-year party. This celebration reinforces that kindness matters and that students who contribute positively to their school community are valued.”

Scobey, MT

“This grant will be used to purchase essential video production equipment. Specifically tripods, lighting, sound equipment, and, if possible, a camera. All of these are critical to producing high quality student made media.

With this equipment, students will produce weekly school newscasts that share announcements, feature stories, and celebrations of student achievement. They will also document school events, activities, and sports; an especially valuable service in our rural community, where distance, work schedules, and weather can prevent families from attending in person. These recordings will help strengthen the connection between our school and the broader community while giving students a sense of pride and responsibility in representing their peers.

Beyond the finished videos, the true value of this grant lies in skill development. Students will learn collaboration, planning, public speaking, technical troubleshooting, storytelling, and ethical reporting. All of these are transferable skills that apply across careers, not just journalism. The equipment purchased through this grant would be reused year after year, supporting multiple classes and allowing the program to grow sustainably over time.

This funding will not simply purchase equipment; it would create opportunity. It will ensure that students in our rural school have access to the same modern, relevant learning experiences as their peers elsewhere. With Entourage Yearbooks’ support, our journalism class can become a lasting platform for student voice, creativity, and community connection.”

Chicago, IL

“At Our Lady of Tepeyac High School, we are intentional about where every dollar goes. Our mission has always been clear: to make sure that any young woman who desires an education can attend our school, feel supported, and graduate ready for college and life beyond our doors.
Because nearly all of our resources are directed toward keeping tuition affordable and providing need-based financial aid, extracurricular programs at Tepeyac exist almost entirely through the generosity of grants and donors. Our Yearbook and Publication class is no exception. While the class plays a vital role in student life, school culture, and historical record-keeping, it does not come with built-in funding for equipment. A dedicated camera is not a luxury for this program—it is a basic instructional tool that our students currently do not have consistent access to.
Tepeyac has a long history of adapting to meet the needs of the community it serves. Ninety-eight percent of our students receive financial aid, and 69% will be first generation college students upon graduating this May. When students enroll at Tepeyac, their families are making real sacrifices just to cover tuition. Asking them to supply specialized equipment for a class simply isn’t realistic.
The Yearbook/Publications class gives our students more than technical skills. It gives them ownership of their story. Our girls document school traditions, athletic milestones, faith celebrations, and everyday moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. They learn responsibility, collaboration, visual storytelling, and attention to detail—skills that translate directly to college and career pathways in media, communications, and design. Without a reliable camera, students are forced to rely on inconsistent personal devices or miss opportunities altogether.
A camera dedicated to this class ensures equity within our own walls. It allows students to learn with the proper tools, take pride in their work, and create a publication that truly reflects the strength and spirit of Tepeyac. Entourage Yearbook’s investment in resources like this, do not just fund a piece of equipment—your gift affirms that our students’ voices, experiences, and stories matter. At Tepeyac, every grant helps remove a barrier. This camera would do exactly that.”