The California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) honored the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) Communications Office with four statewide awards last night as part of its annual conference, conducted online this year. The competition—open to K–16 educational professionals and institutions—is designed to recognize creative, results-oriented, and cost effective work, and provides participants with valuable feedback from fellow public relations professionals.
Winning SCOE Entries
Award of Excellence
- Employee Recognition Day Production
- Keeping SCOE Employees Engaged During Challenging Times—entry included weekly superintendent video messages for staff working remotely, production of an hour-long Employee Recognition Day video, an employee art show video, a virtual pumpkin carving contest, virtual Learn@Lunch sessions for staff, and the Employees of the Month recognition program
- SCOE-Produced Video Catalog: Enriching the Remote Learning Experience During COVID-19—developed in coordination with SCOE’s Internet and Media Services (IMS) department and distributed with the help of the Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC)
Award of Merit
- Preparedness Ambassadors: Disaster Preparedness for California’s Fourth Graders—developed in coordination with SCOE’s College and Career Readiness department and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
About CalSPRA
CalSPRA is a nationally recognized leader in school communications. Its annual Excellence in Communication Awards recognize superior achievement in meeting strategic goals through high-quality communications and public relations programs. Written applications were required for each entry and projects were evaluated by communication professionals based on demanding criteria. “Merit” level awards scored between 80–90 points out of 100. Submissions that scored 90 or higher were awarded at the “Excellence” level.
About the SCOE Communications Office
The SCOE Communications Office provides communication services to support SCOE’s programs and services. It assists school districts in Sacramento County with strategic communications and media outreach, and serves as a key disseminator of information to educators and community leaders countywide.
Communications Office staff members include Tim Herrera, Director; Trisha Odin, Program Analyst; Melanie Slootweg, Program Manager; Charlene VanAllen, Manager; and John Woodward, Multimedia Design Specialist.
Also recognized for their contributions to these projects were Sean Frame (SCOE Student Assessment and Program Accountability department), Douglas Rennie (SCOE Internet and Media Services department), and Jonathan Rhodea (SCOE College and Career Readiness department).