Stanislaus County Office of Education’s (SCOE) Communications Department was awarded a Gold Medallion from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for its Every Day Counts: Attendance Matters campaign.

For more than 40 years, NSPRA’s Gold Medallion Award has been the top national honor in school public relations, recognizing superior programs and campaigns grounded in strategic communication best practices.

Every Day Counts was a two-year initiative carried out in partnership with all 25 school districts in Stanislaus County. The overarching goal was to boost student attendance by educating parents, staff, and the community about the importance of regular school attendance.

By the end of the 2023-24 and the 2024-25 school year, the campaign contributed to a 1.55 percent increase in countywide attendance and a 6.3 percent decrease in chronic absenteeism. A key factor in the campaign’s success was the extensive outreach, which generated more than 40 million impressions. The unified participation of all 25 school districts ensured a consistent message emphasizing the value of education and the importance of regular school attendance.

SCOE also received recognition for the following:

What’s Brewing in Education podcast hosted by Superintendent Scott Kuykendall;

The 2024 Annual Report to the Community; and

Teacher of the Year program video.