The California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA), a nationally recognized leader in school communications, announced Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) as the recipient of the President’s Award and three Awards of Excellence at its annual conference on Friday, March 13, 2026.
“This is the first year our team submitted projects to be considered for awards,” said Director of Communications and Community Engagement Anahi Velasco. “We were excited and humbled that our projects were being recognized by experts in the field who know exactly what we do, and honored us with one of the highest recognitions for the impact we are making in the education field.”
CalSPRA is a statewide organization aimed at creating a climate for better public understanding, commitment and support of education. CalSPRA’s Excellence in Communication Awards program recognizes superior achievement in meeting strategic goals through high-quality communications and public relations programs. Each entry is evaluated by communication professionals on the overall excellence of the entry. Awards were presented at CalSPRA’s Annual Conference and Awards Banquet, on March 13, 2026, in San Jose.
The Moreno Valley Unified School District’s Communications and Community Engagement Department earned three Awards of Excellence for the following projects:
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Future Ready: Graduation Highlight Video - View Video
Category: Tactic - Singular Video Created In-House
The purpose of the graduation highlight video is to commemorate the 2025 school year and inspire stakeholders by visually showcasing the collective success of all district graduations. This purpose is achieved by providing a moving, high quality video that showcases student achievement. -
Saluting Educators: Video Series - View Video Series
Category: Tactic - Video Series Created In-House
The purpose of this video series is to formally recognize, honor, and celebrate our top 11 annual employee award recipients during the official end-of-year Saluting Educators event. The event honors classified and certificated staff from each school, 30+ year service employees, and retirees. Our goal every year is to go beyond the typical announcements and personalize the achievements of the employee, telling a compelling mini-story of who each honoree is and what inspires their dedication and commitment to our students, community and district. -
Dual Language Immersion (DLI): Communications Campaign - DLI Webpage
Category: Comprehensive Program or Campaign
The Moreno Valley Unified School District had seen a decline in enrollment in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program since the COVID-19 closures in 2020. The Board of Education asked the district to increase awareness and efforts to keep the program, acknowledging the several benefits to students. The district engaged in a collaborative approach, connecting with the Chief Academic Officer Dr. Esperanza Arce and Director of Multilingual Programs Lilia Villa to develop a comprehensive communication campaign.
After the department received the awards, CalSPRA President Jacqueline Dillard gave a heartwarming speech regarding a special recognition - the President’s Award - and announced MVUSD as the recipient.
“The President’s Award is a deeply personal recognition for me,” said Jacqueline Dillard, President of CalSPRA. “This campaign represents the kind of leadership and intentional communication that strengthens communities and ensures programs rooted in language, culture, and belonging continue to thrive. Moreno Valley Unified chose to invest in opportunity rather than walk away from it, and that commitment is worthy of recognition.”
The CalSPRA President’s Award is presented annually to recognize a campaign that exemplifies excellence in school public relations while reflecting the values and priorities of the association’s current president.
“The best part of the recognition was knowing that it was a collaborative effort - several people contributed to the overall campaign - demonstrating our shared commitment to our students and their future,” said Velasco.
The President’s Award highlights a campaign that stood out among more than 100 entries in the comprehensive program and campaign category. The award recognizes work that not only demonstrates excellence in research, planning, implementation, and evaluation, but also reflects a commitment to supporting diverse communities and ensuring all students feel valued and represented.
“We are committed to supporting programs that will directly impact student success,” said School Board President Brandy Clark. “It’s so exciting to know that our departments were able to work together, increasing the opportunities for our students to take advantage of such an important program.”
When the district saw declining enrollment in the program, leaders chose not to reduce or eliminate it. Instead, they developed a thoughtful, coordinated communications campaign to raise awareness, strengthen community engagement, and reaffirm the district’s commitment to multilingual education and cultural inclusion.
“We are immensely proud of these achievements,” said Superintendent Alejandro Ruvalcaba. “These awards reflect the strategic approach by our Communications and Community Engagement department to fulfill our district’s vision to empower our students to become future-ready and positively impact the world. We look forward to seeing the continued communications impact on future campaigns throughout the district.”
“We are so happy to be able to see many new families enroll their children in the DLI program as a result of this communications program,” said the Director of Multilingual Programs Lilia Villa. “It is truly an incredible program that increases opportunities for our students in college, career and in their everyday lives. We look forward to continuing the growth of the program for many years to come.”