NJSPRA 2023-24 Communication Awards
Program Expanded to Recognize All Qualifying Entries
NJSPRA’s School Communication Awards recognize outstanding print and electronic collateral material developed by New Jersey school districts who continually strive to disseminate important information to all constituencies. NJSPRA developed the School Communication Awards program to recognize school districts for managing communications and developing tools that go above and beyond in disseminating important messages to their public. Winning entries may also serve as best practices for other districts to benchmark against and emulate. NEW THIS YEAR:
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Awards will be presented to entries meeting the scoring criteria in two levels - Award of Excellence and Award of Merit. Additionally the highest scoring Award of Excellence entry in each category will be awarded “Best in Class.”
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Entries written/produced entirely by student(s) are not eligible.
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The Media Relations-Human Interest category has been expanded to include all Media Coverage. See details at right.
2023-2024 Submission Guidelines Deadline for entries for the 2023-2024 school year is August 1st. Enter via the links for each category in the box at right. NJSPRA members (for the 2023-2024 school year) may submit up to two entries per member at no charge. Members may submit additional entries for a fee of $40 per entry. NJSPRA non-members (for the 2023-2024 school year) may submit entries for a fee of $40 per entry. Enter only materials (excluding websites) produced between July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. Uploaded files must include the name of the district. For example, "SouthernTownshipSchools.PDF" Previous winning entries may not be re-entered. There is no limit on the number of entries. Any one item may only be entered into one category (e.g., not the same publication in both Newsletter and Special Purpose Publication). NJSPRA will invoice for the entry fees on Monday/Tuesday, August 5th-6th. Payment or a Purchase Order for entries must be received by September 9th or the entry will be disqualified from the contest. Submissions will be confirmed with an email confirmation. Any entries not meeting the submission requirements will not be considered and fees for the entry will not be returned. Entries produced entirely by students, with no involvement from the district’s communications staff or administration, are not eligible. All material submitted becomes the property of NJSPRA and may be reproduced, displayed, referenced, or summarized in an NJSPRA publication or other resource. Submission of any entry shall constitute the entrant's representation that all material is original and/or free from unauthorized use of copy, design, art, and/or photographs from other sources.
Judging Entries are evaluated by a non-biased panel of public relations and school public relations professionals. Each award entry is judged on its own merit in terms of how it meets the award criteria and follows entry rules. NJSPRA may also opt to issue no awards if no entries meet the scoring criteria for either level. Individual judging assessments are confidential and will not be released.
Awards Ceremony This year’s awards will be presented at an Award Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at Forsgate Country Club, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Winners will be notified on or about September 20th of the Awards Ceremony details so they can plan to attend. Specific awards are announced at the ceremony and not prior.
Questions?
Contact us at executivedirector@njspra.com
Congratulations to the 2023 Award Winners
Click here for showcase of 2023 winners
Newsletter
1st Place – Middlesex County Magnet Schools
2nd Place – Little Falls Board of Education
3rd Place - Livingston Public Schools
Marketing, Branding, Image
1st Place – Middlesex County Magnet Schools
2nd Place – Long Branch Public Schools
3rd Place – Perth Amboy Public Schools
Media Relations - Human Interest
1st Place – Toms River Regional Schools
2nd Place – Paterson Public Schools
3rd Place – Piscataway Township Schools
Photography
1st Place – Piscataway Township Schools
2nd Place – West Orange Public School District
3rd Place – Summit Public Schools
Social Media
1st Place – New Brunswick Public Schools
2nd Place - Toms River Regional Schools
3rd Place - Cherry Hill Public Schools
Special Interest Publication
1st Place – Ramsey School District
2nd Place - Piscataway Township Schools
3rd Place – Westfield Public Schools
Video
1st Place – Laura Bishop Communications on behalf of NJCCVTS
2nd Place – Hamilton Township School District
3rd Place – Laura Bishop Communications on behalf of Shrewsbury Borough School
Website
1st Place – Laura Bishop Communications on behalf of North Caldwell Public Schools
2nd Place – Toms River Regional Schools
3rd Place - Westfield Public Schools
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CATEGORIES & CRITERIA
Now Open for Submissions - Deadline August 1st
Newsletter This category includes newsletters directed towards internal or external audiences, published periodically and disseminated via print/mail or digital media to the intended audience. Entries will be judged for overall design, content, clarity, quality of writing, and relevance to the audience. Entries must include two (2) different issues (e.g., two different months, quarters, etc.) to qualify as an entry. Submission: PDFs or web links of two (2) issues. ENTRY FORM Marketing, Branding, Image This category includes all branding collateral material, such as logos, stationery and other graphic treatments; advertisements and promotional products; brochures; signage; and items that communicate a district’s special qualities to potential constituents. Entries will be judged for creativity, consistency, unity, graphic design, clarity and overall image and brand. Submission: One PDF file containing three or more individual pieces. ENTRY FORM Media Coverage (changed from Media Relations-Human Interest) This category focuses on how districts manage their presence in the news media and is now expanded to include any news coverage including stories/segments around program, finance, policy, personnel, etc., in addition to human interest stories. Entries must have been published in at least one news media outlet between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Press releases alone do not qualify as entries, but may be submitted with the published story. Entries will be judged based upon story message and interest level. Submission: Link or PDF file of published articles. ENTRY FORM Photography This category focuses on promoting education in New Jersey schools through the use of effective photography. Entries will be evaluated on creative content that evokes emotion or portrays action, balance, composition, framing, use of light, etc. Submissions may depict success stories in public schools, equity in education, social/emotional learning, health and safety, or other relevant themes. Entries must have been published in either a district publication, website, social media or news media and must be the original work of the district. Submission: Photo in JPG or PDF file format together with representation of where published. ENTRY FORM Social Media This category focuses on the strategic use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to engage stakeholders and communicate district information. Entries must include an explanation of how and why the platform is being used and the outcomes achieved. Entries will be evaluated based on creativity and content of posts relative to goals, and corresponding analytics. Submission: Screenshots of three relevant postings and relevant analytics must be included in one PDF file. ENTRY FORM Special Interest Publication This category includes single publications that fall outside of the other categories, e.g. brochure, employee recruitment publication, handbook, general district information, infographic, annual report, calendar, finance publication, poster or signage, etc. Entries will be evaluated based on clarity of information, creativity, consistency, unity, and graphic design including the use of photographs, fonts, color and white space. Submission: PDF of single publication. ENTRY FORM Video This category includes videos that were produced for internal and/or external use in promoting the district or communicating a specific message. These can include, but are not limited to, marketing and enrollment, staff and student successes, health and safety updates, leadership messages such as a new strategic plan, etc. Entries will be judged for professional quality including content, script, lighting, sound and music, motion, editing, and relevance to the audience. Submission: Video file upload (up to one GB) or link to video. ENTRY FORM Website This category is based on the overall impression derived from the website, including content, clarity, appropriateness and freshness, graphic design including the use of color, fonts and photographs/videos, usability, functionality, navigability and overall depth of information. Entries may be for an entire district site or for a site created for a specific initiative such as a bond referendum or complex special project. Intranet (limited access) sites are not eligible. Submission: Website address with brief description of the focus and functionality; Previous winners may not be submitted unless significant changes were made since last submission and must be outlined in accompanying description. ENTRY FORM
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