WORCESTER—Worcester Public Schools closed the 2023-24 year on a high note, in several regards.
Last month, Dan O’Brien, chief communications officer for the schools, announced that WPS had received three national awards from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), recognizing “the districts improved communications efforts.”
The WPS Communications Office received the Golden Achievement Award for its three-month communications campaign about annual school enrollment, and two Publications and Digital Medial Excellence Awards for showcasing student and staff accomplishments, along with district news, through social media and Worcester Educational Access Television (WEA-TV).
“Since the Communications Office was launched last year, the [district] has greatly enhanced the sharing of important and uplifting information for scholars, families, staff, and the community,” Superintendent Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez said in a statement. “Effective communications contribute to a greater culture of engagement and belonging, and leads to families being better informed with important information about our schools. It is wonderful to be recognized at the national level.”
The Golden Achievement Award recognizes outstanding strategic work in all aspect of school public relations, communications and engagement.
The Publications and Digital Medial Experience Award recognizes outstanding education publications, newsletters, videos, podcasts, websites, social media, and more.
Typical of the work the Communications Office does is to monitor the accuracy of stories in the press, as for instance when O’Brien noted in response to an article in the Worcester Guardian that the goals referred to in the superintendent’s report to the School Committee on July 18 were her self-reflection on those for 2023-24. “She will present goals for the 2024-25 year in September,” O’Brien said.
Also, O’Brien wrote to the Communication Office’s media partners on July 12, “to clear up miscommunication that has been circulating in the community. The Racism Free Worcester Public Schools teach-in event that is scheduled for Friday, July 12, at the Worcester Public Library is not sponsored nor endorsed by the Worcester Public Schools (WPS). We are sharing this note to clear up an confusion or misunderstanding.”
In a press release issued on June 26, O’Brien said representatives from AbbVie and Heart of America joined more than one hundred AbbVie and WPS volunteers to put the finishing touches and cut the ribbon on a newly renovated STEAM Lab at Jacob Hiatt Magnet School.
The lab will be available for student use starting with the new school year. Projects scholars will be working on align with the district’s Vision of a Learner future-ready framework.
“We are incredibly thankful for AbbVie, Heart of America and all of the volunteers for providing our students with a beautiful new STEAM Lab,” Jacob Hiatt Principal Tammy Boyle said. “This space will provide more engaging and impactful learning opportunities for our students in all areas of STEAM.”
Also in June, it was announced that Doherty Memorial High School’s Envirothon team had been honored with the Mass Envirothon Community Engagement Award for its exemplary research and advocacy on clean energy solutions within the Worcester community. Doherty was one of three teams statewide to fulfill the requirements for the Mass Envirothon Community Engagement Award for its work on the 2024 current issue of Clean Energy for a Sustainable Future.
“Congratulations to our remarkable Envirothon Team for their outstanding achievement om the 2024 Massachusetts Envirothon,” Doherty Principal John Staley said. “Their dedication to environmental stewardship and community engagement exemplifies the spirit of Doherty Memorial High School. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and their commitment to making a positive impact on our community and beyond.”
The 2024 Doherty Envirothon Team includes: Felix Agyemang, Sage Comeaux, Sheris Darko, Irsa Golemi, Nazrin Ismail, Dea Kamberi, Jailene Matias, Frejsis Telhaj, Susay Toe, Victoria Waladilo, Elena Melka, Stephanie Muriuki, Yuetong Zhao and Serzho Kreka.
The team was guided by Doherty educators Stacey Hill and Jess Racine.
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
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