September 10, 2026

- Monthly Professional Development - Reminder

- APR Opportunities

- Judging Updates

- DON'T FORGET! RENEW YOUR NCSPRA MEMBERSHIP

A new way for NCSPRA members to connect throughout the year is just around the corner.

We sent you a calendar invite. If you need it again, just let us know.

Thanks so much to all of you who volunteered to be judges for our friends in GSPRA. They will be in touch soon, but they also sent us an update.

They have moved their awards ceremony to February 2027, so there is more breathing room for judging. They are going through the list of judges and will reach out soon. The judging window dates will be moved out further since they have more time. They wanted us to pass along their thanks to everyone who volunteered.

And if you are still in a volunteering mood or you want to see what our colleagues on the left coast are doing to promote their districts, CALSPRA is looking for more judges.

The CALSPRA Excellence in Communications Awards celebrate the creativity and great work of school communicators across California. Judging takes approximately 3-4 hours and can be completed anytime between November 1-30. If you are available, you can sign up using their Call for Judges Google Form no later than October 18.

Questions? Contact admin@calspra.org.

Registration continues for the 2026 NCSPRA/SCNSPRA JOINT FALL CONFERENCE! We can't wait for you to join us November 11 - 13 for some incredible professional development, fun activities, fellowship with colleagues and much more! Register HERE or click on the REGISTER NOW button.

The registration fee is $240 for NCSPRA members and $350 for non-members.

The agenda will be published next week!

The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites Riverfront in Wilmington, NC! Special rates are being offered to NCSPRA members starting at $179/$199 per night.

You may now book your rooms! They have set up a special page just for NCSPRA. Make your reservations HERE. If you are a Hilton Honors member, be sure to sign in first.

Many district finance offices may require a Credit Card Authorization Form from the hotel. If so, you can download it HERE. Find out if your district requires it and fill it out now if needed. Not having this can cause a major delay at check-in. You can email the completed form to frontdesk@embassywilmington.com or the front office manager, Patrick.heckler@embassywilmington.com.

Invest in your future today! Be sure to renew your NCSPRA membership here.

As a new school year approaches, it's vital to make sure you're prepared for everything that comes your way. That means renewing your membership in NCSPRA! As an NSPRA Exemplary Chapter, NCSPRA will make sure you have the resources to respond to crises, controversies, mandates, public records requests, social media storms, legislative curveballs, funding cuts, enrollment challenges, attacks on public education, parent issues, and more. We also will make sure you get the recognition and support you deserve through our awards and scholarship programs. You won't want to face the year ahead without NCSPRA's support, resources, and expertise at your fingertips.

Even as our member benefits increase, our dues remain the same. Membership is only $125 for the first person from each organization, and $50 for each additional person. It's the best investment you can make to ensure that you and your colleagues are ready to face the challenges ahead.

We asked for your opinion on the best time to meet for our Spring Leadership Retreat in Cullowhee, NC. The most popular choice was Thursday and Friday April 15 & 16, 2027. So mark your calendars now and plan to join us in the mountains of North Carolina for two great days of professional development.

Next year's Blue Ribbon Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, February 12, 2027 at the Guilford County Schools Community Education Center. Once again, a special thanks to GCS for their generous offer to host us!

Do you have colleagues in neighboring districts who should join NCSPRA? Tell them about us! We want our chapter to be not only the best, but the most active in the country! Share details with those who may not be part of our chapter, but who could benefit from the camaraderie and professional development. Tell them to sign up here.

NCSPRA is an Exemplary Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). For five consecutive years, NCSPRA has been honored with the prestigious Mark of Distinction Award for delivering outstanding professional development to members and to school PR professionals throughout the country.