Whether your school is in person or virtual, yearbook distribution can still happen with a bit of planning. The tips below will help you plan an efficient and celebratory event that everyone will love, from administration to students.
SPACE
Choose a location that allows for social distancing, both for people handing out the yearbooks and those picking one up. If people will remain in their cars, select a space that can accommodate multiple lanes. If people will be getting out of their cars, school grounds, either a football field, track, or outdoor commons area work well.
PLAN CAREFULLY
Based on the space you have and the number of yearbooks you need to hand out, recruit enough people to help. If you are holding an outdoor event, think about a backup plan case of inclement weather. Give families specifics about the date, time, location, and logistics in communications and think about sharing information on social media if anything changes with the plan.
COLLABORATE
Include school administration in your plans and communication. Consider informing local police so they can support smooth traffic flow in and out of the parking lot, whether at your school or elsewhere.
STAGGER PICKUPS
Depending on your space and the number of books you are distributing, consider staggering pickup times, such as by grade, homeroom teacher, or by payment status (prepaid or purchase on-site). Make sure to have an alternate date in mind for any students who cannot make it to distribution.
COLOR CODE
If staggering pickups by grade, consider placing a colored sticky note or distribution ticket on the car windshield as people drive into the parking lot.
- Red/Pink = personalized yearbook
- Green =unpersonalizedyearbook
- Yellow = purchase on-site at distribution.
ORGANIZE
Consider entering sales information into Google Sheets so pickups are trackable in real-time. Organize each distribution station away from others to promote traffic flow and social distancing. Hang large signs to direct traffic to the correct location.
HAVE FUN
Seize this opportunity to build school culture, community, and climate.
DIGITAL YEARBOOK SIGNING
Encourage students to use the free digital yearbook signing pages. Students can invite others to sign their yearbook virtually, so they don’t lose out on this beloved tradition. The best part is that signing pages are printable so that the signatures can be kept forever! To spread the word, print out the QR code and place it in each yearbook, or pass out flyers, so students understand how to get virtual signing pages.
Download flyer here or have students visit yearbooksigning.jostens.com.
CELEBRATION SIGNS
Invite faculty, staff, and school community members to participate in the fun and show their support. Encourage them to make and carry celebration signs, wear silly hats or bring noisemakers to add to the celebratory environment of your event.
FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE
Get balloons. Play music. Decorate sidewalks with chalk. Celebrate community by making your space festive.