HASTINGS AND PRINCE EDWARD DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
HPEDSB Communications team wins national BRAVO! award

Congratulations to the Communications team at HPEDSB, Kerry Donnell, Communications and Privacy Manager, and Mary Doyle, Communications Officer, for receiving a BRAVO! Award from the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE).

The award was a Coup de Coeur for the Shine On, Vapes Gone campaign from fall 2024. It was aimed at Grade 9 students and had a few objectives: to raise awareness about the harms of vaping; to reduce vaping among students; to encourage students who do not vape not to start; and to help students to feel safer in school washrooms.

The project was planned and launched through a multi-faceted awareness campaign within six weeks. The team created graphics, web and social media messaging, partnered and collaborated with internal departments and public health, and put together enough anti-vaping awareness kits to give one to every incoming Grade 9 student. 

"I'm incredibly proud of our Communications team for being recognized with a BRAVO! Award. Their creativity, professionalism and dedication help us share the incredible stories happening at schools every day. This recognition is a reflection of the team's commitment to excellence in all they do," said Katherine MacIver, Director of Education.

CACE recognizes and honours exemplary work in all aspects of school public relations, communications, marketing and engagement through the BRAVO! Awards Program each year. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of volunteer, independent judges, who are involved in public relations/communications outside of the field of education, on the demonstration of the RPIE (research, planning, implementation and evaluation) process. Each entry is judged individually against the award  criteria, not against other entries. Judges score each submission and evaluate the entry based on the information supplied on the entry form, the work summary and the supplemental/backup information provided.

The BRAVO! Awards Program is the only Canada-wide awards program specifically designed to recognize excellence in school board communications. Awards were presented at the end of October.

Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) serves approximately 15,300 students each day at 38 schools (31 elementary, two K-12; four 7-12, one secondary). Supporting student achievement is the goal of approximately 2,000 teaching and support staff who, in addition to the contributions of caring volunteers and community partners, share their passion for teaching and learning.

The Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE) offers the best resource and professional development, bilingually, for educational communications professionals and system leaders in Canada. CACE is also the only association in Canada to provide direct support for the work of over 500 communicators and organizational leaders in school districts, school board associations, private schools, post-secondary institutions, teacher organizations and provincial education ministries. For more information, visit www.cace-acace.org.