Brainerd High School Student Kobe Rivers takes flight over Chattanooga during his aviation training. Rivers is the first student to graduate from HCS’ Aviation Future Ready Institute with his pilot’s license
Hamilton County Schools (HCS) won a 2021 Publications and Digital Media Excellence Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for its video highlighting Kobe Rivers.
Rivers, of Brainerd High School, was the first student to graduate from one of HCS’ Aviation Future Ready Institutes with his pilot’s license.
HCS also received a Publications and Digital Media Excellence Award for a social media campaign entitled #HCSHeroes, which highlighted the crucial efforts of HCS teachers to serve children during the pandemic.
Winning two Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards in the same year was a first-ever accomplishment for HCS.
Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards are for outstanding work in educational communications, including print and digital publications, video, audio, websites, social media and more.
Staff will present on HCS’ COVID-19 communications and response work at a roundtable during the national NSPRA conference in New Orleans this month.
The #HCSHeroes campaign and Kobe Rivers video will also be on display for other school districts to learn more about.
“This recognition is a testament to the power of an engaged community committed to serving children during a global pandemic,” said Dr. Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools.
“We understand that strong communication is critical to accelerating student achievement, and I’m excited for our work to be accessible to other school systems around the country.”
Additionally, HCS received NSPRA’s Golden Achievement Award for the district’s COVID-19 communications and response during the 2020-2021 school year.
HCS held in-person instruction 90 percent of the 2021-2022 school year and had more than 800 communication touchpoints with the community throughout that time.
The Golden Achievement Award recognizes outstanding, strategic work in all aspects of school public relations, communication, marketing and engagement.
HCS competed against hundreds of public school systems and private schools from across the country.
