Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) received five awards for excellence in communication at the California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) awards ceremony on March 1, 2024. 

NMUSD received three Awards of Excellence for the 2023 Digital Citizenship Social Media Campaign, Glimpse into the Classroom Social Media Campaign, and District Brag Sheet, plus two Awards of Merit for the Class of 2023 Social Media Campaign and Read Across Newport-Mesa Social Media Campaign.

“As part of our commitment to more meaningfully communicate and engage with constituents, I am proud of the work our team does to promote our exceptional students, staff, and programs,” said Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith.

CalSPRA annually recognizes outstanding work by school public relations professionals throughout the state. Since 2020, NMUSD has received 10 communications and public relations awards for its communications efforts in the areas of crisis communication, social media, feature writing, video production, and digital media communication.   

Below is a highlight of NMUSD’s award-winning communications that were recognized as part of the 2024 CalSPRA Excellence in Communication Awards Program:

 

Digital Citizenship, Award of Excellence, Comprehensive Program or Campaign - Social Media Campaigns

We recognize the importance of educating students and their families about being good digital citizens. With this campaign, we wanted to raise awareness, prompt responsible conduct, encourage online safety and parent engagement, and encourage positive online behavior and open dialogue. Colorful, engaging posts and stories were designed with actionable items to raise students’ awareness, plus we included photos of our students to personalize the campaign to our district. Parents and their children were invited to attend online educational sessions through digital invitations via email and social media. Overall, the campaign was successful in increasing attendance at the district’s virtual parent education sessions by more than 300 percent and increasing our number of Instagram followers by nearly 17 percent.

 

NMUSD Brag Sheet, Award of Excellence, Tactics - Marketing Publication

The Public Information Office created a comprehensive, easy-to-read Brag Sheet about the district that contains the most pertinent information about our award-winning schools and programs, highlighting all the incredible curricula and resources our students have access to. The brag sheet was distributed to families and the greater NMUSD community via email, posted on our website, and is shared at community events.

 

Glimpse Into the Classroom, Award of Excellence, Comprehensive Program or Campaign - Social Media Campaigns 

In line with one of our district priorities, to more meaningfully connect with our parent community, the Public Information Office introduced a series of short videos designed to give parents and community members an authentic look into classroom instruction and teaching methods. In recent years, there have been substantial changes in the way many subjects are taught, and this series allowed parents to directly observe and comprehend not only what their children are learning, but also how they are learning.

 

Here’s to the Future - Class of 2023, Award of Merit, Comprehensive Program or Campaign - Social Media Campaigns 

Graduation represents the culmination of students’ NMUSD experiences and the beginning of the next journey in life. This social media campaign spotlighted some of our high school seniors’ future educational plans and career pursuits while celebrating their accomplishments in our schools. Each post incorporated the individual student’s school colors and logos, provoking a sense of school spirit, and in some cases included the insignia of the college, university, direct-to-work employment, or military branch chosen by the student.   

 

Read Across Newport-Mesa, Award of Merit, Tactics - Video 

Focusing on the importance of early literacy and the district’s expansive learning opportunities, this video brought together our elementary school communities in celebration of Read Across America Day. Students from all 22 elementary schools, plus the superintendent and then-Board President Ashley Anderson, shared the same book by handing it off-screen, then showing the next person reaching for it and reading a section. The video was stitched together seamlessly to show everyone sharing the same book. 

CalSPRA is a nationally recognized statewide organization, with nearly 1,000 members representing school districts and county offices of all sizes in the field of education. Its annual conference and awards program provides professional development and networking opportunities while recognizing and supporting excellence in the field of public relations.