The California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) honored SCOE's Public Information Office with five awards at its annual meeting earlier this year. CalSPRA is a nationally recognized leader in school communications with a membership of about 250. Members represent school districts and county offices of all sizes throughout the state, as well as other professionals in the field of education.
"It was exciting to see how our work stacked up against other county offices throughout the state," said John Woodward, Web Developer for the Sacramento County Office of Education. "Entering our work and attending the CalSPRA Communications Conference was beneficial because it gave us the opportunity to evaluate the quality of our work and find ways to make it even better."
"It was definitely useful to enter our projects because doing so helped us understand our strengths and weaknesses," said Beth Flory, Public Information Office Program Analyst.
The annual CalSPRA Communications Contest was judged this year by the Oregon School Public Relations Association. A representative of the Oregon organization traveled to California to provide competitors with feedback and suggestions beyond what was provided in written form. The conference also offered several panel speakers.
The SCOE Public Information Office won awards for the following projects and categories:
- Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Web Site ("Web Site — Other" category)
- Teachers of the Year 2004 ("Special Event or Program" category)
- David P. Meaney Education Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony ("Special Event or Program" category)
- Coordinating design theme of staff directories, public school directories, notecards, and brochures based on artwork created for the new David P. Meaney Education Center ("Special Purpose Publication" category)
- Custom Event Photo Sleeves ("Cost-Saving Innovation" category)