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2020 Blue Ribbon Awards

NCSPRA Blue Ribbons Awards Logo

2020 BLUE RIBBON AWARDS

State Superintendent honors school districts during NCSPRA Blue Ribbon Awards Celebration

Catherine Truitt

On February 5, the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) held its annual Blue Ribbon Awards celebration. During the virtual event, State Superintendent, Catherine Truitt, paid tribute to award winners and thanked all North Carolina school districts for their efforts to effectively communicate during difficult times.

Superintendent Truitt praised the districts and their communications teams for the powerful way they have responded to help parents, students, and staff during the COVID crisis. "You have conquered the digital landscape in order to meet the ever-changing demands of this pandemic,” Truitt shared in her video message. “You have mastered the use of social media channels, video messages, and email sending platforms, and you have remained vigilant in the face of an overwhelming demand for answers. Most importantly, you all have been steadfast in your determination to ensure that questions posed by parents and teachers have received the answers they require and deserve.” Truitt called the work of the winners “exceptional” and thanked them for their dedication and for helping to shape the communications landscape. See Superintendent Truitt’s full video messagse here.  

During the celebration, NCSPRA honored the 41 districts with Blue Ribbon Awards for outstanding communications in eight categories:  

  • Marketing
  • Digital Media Engagement
  • Electronic Media
  • Excellence in Writing
  • Publications
  • Image/Graphic Design
  • Photography
  • Special Events/Programs

Individual entries earned either a Gold, Silver, or Bronze level award. Altogether, NCSPRA presented 356 Blue Ribbon Awards to the winning districts. NCSPRA also honored the top entry in each category with the Best of the Best Award. The eight Best of the Best winners received special recognition for having the most outstanding entry in each category:  

The Georgia School Public Relations Association judged NCSPRA’s 2020 Blue Ribbon entries. The judges praised the work of North Carolina’s school communicators as “comprehensive, professional, impressive, and engaging.” 

Ken Derksen, NCSPRA President and Communications & Public Relations Officer for Wayne County Public Schools, said the work of the award winners exemplifies the high standards and qualities members demonstrate in their daily school communications programs. “Blue Ribbon Awards are among the highest and most prestigious honors that a member of our organization can attain. I congratulate all of this year’s winners for achieving statewide recognition as a Blue Ribbon Award winner. These awards highlight the superior work being accomplished in the area of school communications and all that our members are doing to support and promote public schools across North Carolina,” Derksen said.

NCSPRA is a statewide professional organization serving more than 150 members. Its mission is to build support for public education through well-planned and responsible public relations.