The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) has awarded a total of 20 awards, including the highly acclaimed Gold Medallion and Golden Achievement Awards, to the Department of Media and Communications Development for a variety of print, mixed media, and electronic media projects.

Entries for the NSPRA 2006-2007 Publications and Electronic Media Contest came from public and private schools; vocational-technical schools beyond 12th grade; two-year community colleges; state/national education groups; and any public relations agency or private business serving such schools and colleges. This year, NSPRA received a total of 1,121 entries from across the country and Canada.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) is one of only four school districts in the nation to earn NSPRA’s highest honor, the 2007 Gold Medallion Award. The district’s Military Child Initiative was recognized for its outstanding, educational public relations outreach. The Military Child Initiative was launched, with the support of the superintendent, as an arm of the division’s National Network of Partnership Schools Program to specifically target the needs of military connected families.

In addition to the Gold Medallion, VBCPS is also the recipient of the 2007 Golden Achievement Award for its bus safety public relations campaign. The purpose of the campaign was to encourage students, parents, motorists and pedestrians to be active partners in ensuring school bus safety and to reassure the community at large that the school division transportation system offers a safe means of travel.

“Effective communication plays a critical role in a school division the size of Virginia Beach,” says Kathy O’Hara, Assistant Superintendent of Media and Communications Development. “It takes a concentrated effort by many people to effectively engage our community in the work of public education and to keep them apprised of the programs and initiatives the school division offers. These NSPRA awards are a testament to that collective hard work.”

The 20 NSPRA awards received by the Department of Media and Communications Development include:

• Gold Medallion – VBCPS Military Child Initiative
• Golden Achievement Award – Bus Safety Awareness
• Award of Excellence – My Year in Kindergarten School Year 2006-2007 Handbook
• Award of Excellence – Elementary School Parent/Student Handbook
• Award of Excellence – VBCPS School Guide 2006-2007
• Award of Excellence – How in the World? Television Program
• Award of Excellence – Advance Your Thinking II Video Presentation
• Award of Merit – Apple-a-Day Parent Newsletter
• Award of Merit – Kaleidoscope Employee Newsletter
• Award of Merit – Extended Day Kindergarten: A Great Start for Your Child
• Award of Merit – Student Registration K-12 2006-2007
• Award of Merit – Grades 6, 7, 8 You’ll find that Middle School is great!
• Award of Honorable Mention – The Galaxy After-School Program 2006-2007 School Year
• Award of Honorable Mention – Virginia Beach School Board Brochure
• Award of Honorable Mention – Honoring the 2007 Teachers of the Year
• Award of Honorable Mention – Volunteers in Education Brochure
• Award of Honorable Mention – Hats off to Volunteers!
• Award of Honorable Mention – Partners in Education Brochure
• Award of Honorable Mention – The Locker Room Television Program
• Award of Honorable Mention – Ahead of the Curve Television Program

For more information about the NSPRA awards or the Department of Media and Communications Development, call 263-1949.