The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) has been recognized with four 2026 National School Communication Awards from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), earning honors for excellence in website design, publications, newsletters and social media.
NSPRA’s annual awards program recognizes outstanding communications materials and campaigns from school districts and education organizations across the country. Entries are judged against organizations of similar size and evaluated on overall excellence, quality and effectiveness.
HIDOE’s Communications Branch earned two Awards of Excellence, one Award of Merit and one Honorable Mention from NSPRA, the nation’s leading organization for school communications professionals.
- Award of Excellence, Website: hawaiipublicschools.org Website Redesign
- Award of Excellence, Special Purpose Publication: “A privilege to serve in the community that raised me“: 19 HIDOE principals share what it means to be leading the schools they attended as students
- Award of Merit, Newsletter: Ho'oha'aheo Weekly Newsletter
- Honorable Mention, Social Media: Mural Mo‘olelo Social Media Series
The website redesign project transformed the Department’s public-facing website into a modern, mobile-friendly platform with improved navigation, accessibility and translation capabilities. The redesigned site also streamlined content, reducing more than 1,800 indexed pages to just over 180 pages to help users more easily find information.
The Special Purpose Publication Award recognized a feature produced during National Principals Month highlighting 19 school leaders who now serve as principals at the same public schools they attended as students. The multimedia project paired childhood and current photos with personal reflections and audio introductions and became the most-clicked story in the Oct. 15 issue of the Department’s Ho'oha'aheo newsletter.
Bộ phận của Ho'oha'aheo weekly newsletter was honored for its role in strengthening connections among families, employees and the broader community. With nearly 39,000 subscribers and an average open rate of 47%, the newsletter features student and staff stories, superintendent updates, parent perspectives and other content celebrating public education in Hawai‘i.
HIDOE also received recognition for its Mural Mo‘olelo social media series, which highlights the stories behind murals found on public school campuses throughout the state. The series celebrates school pride, culture and community while connecting students and families to the history and sense of place surrounding each school. The initiative helped increase social media reach by 55% over the previous school year through collaborations with schools, artists and community partners.
The recognition reflects the Communications Branch’s ongoing efforts to connect students, families, employees and communities through timely information, strategic storytelling and meaningful engagement.
NSPRA is the nation’s leading professional organization dedicated to school communication. The association provides professional development and recognizes exemplary communications programs and materials from school districts and education organizations nationwide.
