The Ulster BOCES Community Relations team has claimed one of only 78 Awards of Excellence for its work with the Ellenville Central School District on its 2008-2009 “Make Every Day Earth Day” School Calendar. The award was part of the National School Public Relations Association’s (NSPRA) annual competition, which recognizes exemplary school communication practices in the United States and Canada. Since 1999, the department has been recognized more than 100 times with national and state awards for its efforts to help schools building strong communications with their communities.

The Ulster BOCES Community Relations team provides a range of communication services year-round to Ulster BOCES, as well as seven Ulster County and three Orange County school districts. By relying on a skilled team of professionals with specialties in marketing, journalism, graphic arts, and photography, participants of this cooperative service benefit from the efficiency of planned, targeted communications services. The team can handle all aspects of creating publications for a school’s internal and external audiences, including newsletters, annual reports, brochures, pamphlets, event programs, commemorative journals, visual displays, posters, PowerPoint presentations, and management of websites and web blogs. The team also works with districts to develop print and broadcast news releases.

In addition to the expertise the Community Relations team provides school districts, the service is also designed to save schools money. By participating in the Ulster BOCES Community Relations Co-Ser, districts do not have to purchase the expensive design equipment and software necessary to produce professional-quality school publications; they likewise save time and money by relying on the team’s long-term relationships with service providers, which generates economical printing quotations and ensures a smooth production schedule. The Co-Ser can even handle the details of preparing and delivering bulk mailings of finished projects to the regional post office location.

“We are so honored to earn an Award of Excellence from NSPRA,” says Community Relations Coordinator Holly Brooker, who worked with Community Relations Specialist Judy Herron and Graphic Artist Barbara Slocum to produce the winning entry. “Communication is such a vital component of school success, and the districts we work with through our cooperative service are committed to sharing information and building relationships with their communities.”

The winning calendar entry, along with others accorded the Award of Excellence, was displayed at the NYSPRA National Seminar in San Francisco, California. Although not in attendance at the California event, both the Ellenville Central School District and the Ulster BOCES Community Relations team will receive a plaque representing their achievement.

In addition to the Award of Excellence, the Ulster BOCES team also earned five merit and two honorable mention awards. A complete list of their achievements includes:

Award of Excellence

• Ellenville 2008-2009 School Calendar: “Make Every Day Earth Day”