Oswego School District Wins 4 Awards from PR Association

Source: Oswego School District 308 website

School District 308 works hard to be a primary source of information for the communities it serves, and those efforts are paying off according to experts in school public relations.

The school district recently won four awards from the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA) for communication efforts with employees, parents and the public.

The awards were for:

• School District 308’s new website
• The 2014 Annual Report
• The 2014-15 Merit Budget
• A human resources recruitment brochure

The INSPRA awards program is the only avenue in Illinois that specifically honors high-quality school publications and materials that promote the mission and message of a school district. A panel of community relations professionals from National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) chapters in Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin judged the competition. A small number of Illinois chapter members also served as judges in categories for which they did not submit an entry.

More than 150 entries were submitted in the following categories:

• Annual Reports
• Audio/Video
• Calendars/Handbooks
• Electronic Publications
• Financial Information
• Marketing Materials
• Newsletters
• Special Purpose
• Website
• Writing
• Golden Achievement

Entries were judged based on a rubric specific to each category. The top scorers in design, writing, and clarity were recognized through Merit and Excellence Awards.

“It is great to see our school district receive regional and statewide attention for the investment and efforts to communicate with staff members, parents and the public,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Wendt said. “We want to keep our stakeholders informed and remain transparent about what is occurring within the state’s seventh largest school district. The website and our other publications speak to our commitment to improve and enhance communication.”

School District 308 launched its redesigned website in January 2015. The website and winning publications are part of a commitment to educate and inform the community about District 308 news and events.

“Our redesigned district website gives students, teachers and taxpayers better access to a primary source of information,” said Brian Graves, director of Communications and Public Relations.

“We utilized best practices and data-driven decisions to guide the building of the website, which has been recognized by our peer institutions as one of the best in the state,” added Graves, noting that the website provides the infrastructure to communicate school district news and information quickly and efficiently. “It is truly an honor.”

This is the second consecutive year School District 308’s Department of Communications and Public Relations has been recognized in the INSPRA awards. In 2014, the 2013-14 Annual Report was also recognized by both INSPRA and the National School Public Relations Association.

“The website and the other publications help us keep our community better informed,” added Graves, who is a member of the National School Public Relations Association Diversity Taskforce.

The awards were received as part of a luncheon on Sept. 18 in Oak Brook, Ill. School District 308 Board of Education honored Graves for his work at its October 13 meeting.

National School Public Relations Association has provided school communication training and services to school leaders throughout the United States and Canada since 1935.

To see more about the 2015 INSPRA Communications Contest click here.