Charleston County School District’s (CCSD) Office of Communications, along with 11 schools, combined to win a district-record 32 awards in the 2023 Rewards for Excellence program, sponsored by the South Carolina Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (SCNSPRA). CCSD tied Kershaw County School District for the most overall awards in the state this year. The honors for CCSD include the prestigious Golden Achievement for the district’s Pulse of CCSD initiative and two “Best in Show” honors in School Photography (Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies) and School Website (Lucy Beckham High School).

Along with the overall number of 32, 11 schools receiving honors is a new CCSD record. Orange Grove Charter School set another district record with seven awards by itself.

SCNSPRA recognized 201 programs and projects from across the state during a ceremony on Friday, May 12, 2023, in Columbia.

Rewards for Excellence recognizes outstanding communications and public relations efforts by South Carolina schools, school districts, and education agencies and associations. Public relations veterans with extensive experience in educational and business communications evaluated 303 entries (state record) from the school and district levels.

The program features the following three main awards categories:  

• Medallion (for comprehensive public relations programs)

• Golden Achievement (for a single project or an aspect of a comprehensive program)

• Publications and Electronic Media (for individual products designed to improve communication)

The following entries from the district and CCSD schools were honored in this year’s Rewards for Excellence program:

District

Golden Achievement - Pulse of CCSD

Excellence in Writing - Cario students earn a Young Hero grant

Excellence in Writing - Principal Malone makes sure basic needs of students and families are met

Excellence in Writing - Pulse of CCSD - Luis Torres Clavell

Excellence in Writing - Student photographers capture the excitement of learning at CPA

Photography – First Day of School E.B. Ellington Elementary 1

Photography – First Day of School E.B. Ellington Elementary 3

Special Publication - Focus on CCSD

Video – CCSD Summer SAIL Program 2022

Video – Kory Roberts 2022 CCSD Teacher of the Year

Video – Planting the Seed to Teach - Stories of CCSD

School

Newsletter – Orange Grove Charter School (The Tiger’s Roar - June 2022) 

Newsletter - Orange Grove Charter School (The Tiger’s Roar - November 2022)

Photography - Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies (Cooper River CAS National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration) - Best in Show

Photography - Julian Mitchell Elementary School (Mitchell Elementary’s Day at Folly Beach)

Photography - Mary Ford Early Learning & Family Center (Great Minds Meet)

Photography - Stiles Point Elementary School (Pizza Day at Stiles Point)

Social Media - Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies’ Facebook page

Social Media - North Charleston Elementary School’s Facebook page

Social Media – Thomas C. Cario Middle School’s Facebook page

Video – Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies (House of Fire Safety Horrors)

Video - Ladson Elementary School (Ladson Morning News Show)

Video - Mary Ford Early Learning & Family Center (Beyond One Street: The Life, Impact, and Legacy of Thomasina McPherson)

Video – North Charleston Elementary School (We are North Charleston Elementary School)

Video - Orange Grove Charter School (8th Grade Mentors)

Video - Orange Grove Charter School (Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month at Orange Grove)

Video - Orange Grove Charter School (Orange Grove Alumni Return Home)

Video - Orange Grove Charter School (Second Grade Pumpkin Patch)

Video - Orange Grove Charter School (Track National Stars)

Website - Lucy Beckham High School – Best in Show

Website – Jerry Zucker Middle School

Website – Murray-LaSaine Montessori School

“I have been humbled by the behind-the-scenes glance at the Communications team's work that this past year has afforded me.,” said CCSD’s Interim Executive Director of Communications, Vanessa Denney. “CCSD's school communications professionals work tirelessly to tell the stories of CCSD. The work in service to schools and the community is evidenced by not only the breadth of the awards but also by the number of schools working toward and receiving recognition in our county. Kudos to all of the award recipients."

This is the third consecutive year CCSD broke its own record in the SCNSPRA Rewards for Excellence program. The district picked up 21 honors last year (which led the state) and received 17 awards in 2021.

SCNSPRA is an affiliate of the National School Public Relations Association. The state chapter is composed of more than 139 school public relations practitioners, superintendents, and other educational professionals from across the state. The organization strives to foster development in the field of school public relations and to encourage meaningful community involvement in and understanding of the public school system.