Delavan-Darien School District Receives Holtshopple Scholarship Award & Earns Spectrum Award for Excellence in School Communications
Ashley Duchemin, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at the Delavan-Darien School District was recently honored by the Wisconsin School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) with two Spectrum Award of Excellences and one Award of Merit for her work in school communications. She was also the recipient of the 2023 Holtshopple Scholarship Award. WSPRA presented the Spectrum Awards at its annual conference held November 8-10.
This scholarship is given in honor of the memory of the late WSPRA board member, Allan Holtshopple, criteria for this scholarship is that the applicant must be a new WSPRA member within the last two years and must demonstrate community involvement. There were multiple individuals who nominated Duchemin for this award. She was recognized for her work in coordinating with local armed forces to create a hero bowl game during the first football game of the season.
She was also nominated for her work partnering with local businesses to ensure all students in her district have access to branded clothing. A quote that stood out in her nomination was that “She knows the key to successful communication is consistency,” and we personally couldn’t agree more. Duchemin has shown extensive commitment to her district and has elevated their image through the use of marketing, communications, and social media. It is evident through her nominations that she has directly impacted her district and community as a whole. She radiates positivity, creativity, and is beyond deserving of this award.
The Delavan-Darien School District earned an Award of Excellence in the category of Marketing/Advertising for its 2023 Branding & Identity Guide, an Award of Excellence in the category of Special Purpose Publication/Project for its "Think About the Kids When You Vote" 2022 Referendum Campaign and an Award of Merit in the category of short video for its DDSD promotional video for open enrollment.
Spectrum Awards recognize high-quality public relations efforts produced by or on behalf of Wisconsin school districts. This year, this statewide competition honored over 59 school districts and CESAs with awards.
"The projects from the Spectrum Award winners show how important it is to communicate well in schools and connect with the community. They represent some of the best work being done in schools throughout the state," said Joelle Doye, current President of WSPRA from the Mineral Point School District. "These winners show how key good communication is in education and how important it is to involve everyone to support our schools in Wisconsin."
WSPRA’s Spectrum Awards were judged by members of other school public relations associations in 20 different states, from New York to California.
The Wisconsin School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) is a professional association representing schools, school districts, educational associations, consulting agencies and organizations.
WSPRA is a state affiliate of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). The mission of WSPRA is to expand the capacity of its members to provide effective communication management for the purpose of strengthening educational opportunities for all students.