Jostens helps schools celebrate National Yearbook Week with custom poster recognizing yearbook skills acquired by yearbook staffers

MINNEAPOLIS – October 2, 2008 – Jostens will acknowledge National Yearbook Week, October 6-10, with a commemorative poster designed to recognize the skills developed by student yearbook staff members and distributed to schools by Jostens' Yearbook representatives. The week of special yearbook-related activities commemorates excellence in scholastic journalism and acknowledges the publication efforts of yearbook advisers and staffs across the country.

The first National School Yearbook Week was held in October 1987 by proclamation of President Ronald Reagan. It coincided with the Bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing freedom of the press.
"Producing a yearbook is a fantastic way for students to learn first-hand about the standards of the journalism profession," said Gary Lundgren, Marketing manager, Jostens. "We are pleased to support advisers and staffs with the yearbook curriculum as a course of study as it promotes over 30 key skills required for journalism, business, technology and life."

Throughout the development of yearbook curriculum, Jostens has identified 30 skills developed through yearbook staff experience including:

Life Skills
- Communication;
- Leadership;
- Time management;
- Project management;
- Problem solving;
- Writing;
- Photography;
- Team building;
- Conflict resolution;
- Public speaking.

Journalism Skills
- Concept brainstorming;
- Reporting;
- Researching;
- Editing;
- Photo editing;
- Graphic arts;
- Public relations;
- Media law;
- Design & layout;
- Business Skills;
- Budget planning;
- Promotion & advertising;
- Marketing;
- Selling;
- Customer relations;
- Market research.

Technology Skills
- Business software applications;
- Desktop publishing;
- Photo-editing software applications;
- Online design;
- Online research.

The tradition of National Yearbook Week is enacted by schools across the country to recognize the contributions made by yearbook staff members, who often devote countless hours producing a chronicle of the year for their school community.

"National Yearbook Week honors the significant role that high school yearbooks play in capturing the spirit of a school and documenting the lives and experiences of students," said Lundgren. "Yearbook advisers and their staffs make valuable contributions to school culture each year and we salute their efforts."

About Jostens
Minneapolis-based Jostens is a provider of products, programs and services that help people inspire achievement and celebrate memories. The company's products include school yearbooks and memory books, OurHubbub™ brand MemoryBooks, scholastic products such as class rings and graduation products, and products for athletic champions and their fans. Jostens is a subsidiary of Visant Corporation, a leading marketing and publishing services enterprise servicing the school affinity, direct marketing, fragrance and cosmetics sampling and educational and trade publishing segments.