(BRYANT) – (April 27) – Jostens, the leading producer of yearbooks and student-created content, today announced that Bryant Junior High’s yearbook program has achieved the Jostens National Yearbook Program of Excellence 2026 award at the Silver Level.
“The staff has dedicated so much of their time to the creation of the yearbook, and I honestly couldn’t be prouder and more honored to be one of their editors this year. It’s amazing to watch their hard work pay off in the end,” Caroline Relford, coEditor-in-Chief said when she learned of the award.
The National Yearbook Program of Excellence recognizes engaging yearbooks that reflect a broad representation of the student body while helping students to develop 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, and information and communication technologies (ICT) literacy.
The Bryant Junior High award-winning yearbook program is led by Relford and Joleen Roggasch, coEditors-in-Chief, under the direction of Meag Abo, yearbook adviser.
“The entire staff has done a fantastic job. They managed to get almost every student in the yearbook at least once and 59 percent of our population in the book three times each. In a school of over 1500, that is impressive,” Abo said, “They were committed to meaningful inclusion and without sacrificing beautiful design and photography. It’s the whole package.”
Jostens’ National Yearbook Program of Excellence Awards are presented twice a year, in spring and in fall based on the yearbook’s arrival date at the school. The award was presented to the BJHS Media Staff yearbook program for achieving defined criteria in between one and three of the following categories: creating an inclusive yearbook, generating school engagement, and successfully managing the yearbook creation process.
“Jostens is proud to recognize those individuals who have created an exceptional yearbook for their school and community,” said Tammy Whitaker, Jostens VP and COO Yearbook Division. “These schools did an exceptional job on multiple levels, despite the challenges presented by this school year. Yearbooks are a critical part of capturing and telling a school’s story, and Jostens is dedicated to supporting yearbook staff members as they do their important work.”
Founded in 1897, Jostens has produced school yearbooks for over 60 years. Schools rely on Jostens and their local Jostens representatives to provide a combination of journalism education and technology tools to deliver a learning experience that helps students develop 21st century skills in journalism, photography, writing and design, leadership and business while creating the permanent record of the school year. Jostens invests in state-of-the-art technology, best in class service, educational curriculum and award-winning print manufacturing platforms to plan, design, build and produce yearbooks.
About BJHS Media Staff
The BJHS Media Staff is laboratories for journalism students designed to serve the total school community. As a laboratory, publications and videos provide staff members with independent opportunities with hands-on, real-life experiences. The staff is comprised of both eighth graders and freshman and has three student-led publications, as well as student-led social media platforms. Those publications are The Blue and White, the yearbook; Swarm Productions, the broadcast program; The Occurrence, the newspaper; and Dynamic, the literary magazine. More information can be found at bjhsmedia.org.
About Jostens
Jostens is a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel, providing products, programs and services that help its customers celebrate moments that matter. The company’s products include yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments. Founded in 1897 and based in Minneapolis, MN, Jostens is a subsidiary of Platinum Equity and can be found online at www.jostens.com.
