HSTA Communications team earns 18 national awards of excellence

The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association’s Communications Department took top honors at the national level for its work in writing, video, and digital campaigns.

HSTA was recognized with 18 first-place awards and best-in-show honors at the State Education Association Communicators (SEAComm) conference in Philadelphia in June.

The SEAComm awards program recognizes outstanding work every year from graphic designers, public relations specialists, editors, photographers, digital media specialists, writers, webmasters, and media planners employed by state affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA).

Team takes home top awards for Maui wildfires coverage

On Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires devastated the Lahaina and Kula areas of Maui, killing over 100 people, incinerating thousands of homes and businesses, causing $5.5 billion in damage, and displacing thousands of families. More than 100 educators and retired teachers lost their homes in the flames. Three public schools were impacted; and a fourth, King Kamehameha III Elementary, was destroyed.

The HSTA Communications Department worked closely with staff and leadership to monitor the situation and update members on important developments, including school closures, the state Department of Education’s reopening plans, member-led lifesaving and volunteer coordination efforts, and local, state, and federal support and resources.

HSTA’s communications team earned the following first-place awards for its coverage of the Maui wildfires:

Digital organizing campaign
HSTA supports members after deadly Maui wildfires

Social media campaign
HSTA supports members after deadly Maui wildfires

Digital: Social media use and strategy
HSTA supports members after deadly wildfires

Writing: News story
Maui teacher saves former student from wildfires

HSTA Communications Director Keoki Kerr said, “We are so proud of the innovative and excellent work done by HSTA’s media specialist Chris Schubert, and communications specialists Terri Inefuku and Jill Meinecke. We also pay tribute to the incredible efforts of our union’s management and staff as well as elected state and Maui Chapter leaders who rallied to support our members impacted by the wildfires last year.”

HSTA earns ‘best in show’ for visual category

Judges from across the country evaluated HSTA’s award entries against the work of communications teams from other states with 20,000 or fewer educator members. Awards were also issued to states with more members.

However, HSTA’s work in visual communications, particularly video, earned a Best in Show Visual award, representing the best work in the video category compared to every state, large and small, that entered the contest.

In the Internal Video Long Form category, the union’s piece called “HSTA honors Kumu’s Cupboard with 2023 Friend of Youth Award” received a perfect score. The video told the story of a free store for educators on the island of Kauaʻi. One SEAComm judge said, “I loved the way the story was told. Very moving and compelling. Very good interviews, edited beautifully to tell the story. Overall a very good use of visuals, sound, background, and editing to create a compelling and moving message.”

In the Internal Video Short Form category, the Hawaiʻi team once again received a perfect score for its video “HSTA’s Teacher Appreciation Week grand-prize winner gets a special surprise.” The SEAComm judge for this category said of HSTA’s entry, “This video is an excellent example of short-form video. Well crafted in narrative and camera work. Beautiful job.”

The HSTA received another perfect score in a new category for this year’s awards, Video Feature Story, for its entry “Meet HSTA’s 2023 STACY Award recipient Daphna Ehrenhalt.”

The judge in this category, who recommended Hawaiʻi as Best in Show Visual, said about this video segment: “The editing and transitions were professional and powerful. … Highlighting a teacher who contributes to the well-being of students in the LGBTQ and deaf community is on the target. This is a timely and important subject currently, considering the attacks on the LBGTQ community.”

Hawaiʻi completed its clean sweep of the four originally produced video categories by winning the Award of Excellence for the Video News Story entry, “HSTA SHiNE Committee added to union’s permanent roster.” In this entry, our SEAComm judge said, “The entire story did a good job of explaining the importance of focusing on new educators to the profession. Very timely story – nothing more important than teacher retention.”

First-place visual winners

Video: Feature story
Hawaiʻi Island teacher receives 2023 HSTA STACY Award for Teaching Excellence

Video: Internal (long form)
HSTA honors Kumu’s Cupboard president with 2023 Friend of Youth Award

Video: Internal (short form)
HSTA’s Teacher Appreciation Week grand-prize winner gets a special surprise

Video: News story
Committee to support new educators added to HSTA’s permanent roster

Other HSTA awards of excellence

Government/political affairs campaign
‘We need a hero.’ Urge lawmakers to fight the youth vaping epidemic in Hawaiʻi

Special events campaign
HSTA Convention

Team collaboration
Contract ratification

Commemoration/tribute
HSTA State Convention’s 50th Anniversary

Digital: Electronic newsletter
Member Matters email newsletter

Digital: Website
www.hsta.org

Interdisciplinary excellence
Bargaining Unit 05 members overwhelmingly ratify four-year contract

Writing: Feature story
HSTA honors Kumu’s Cupboard president with 2023 Friend of Youth Award

Writing: Investigative/analytical reporting
Teacher vacancies drop this year partly because of HSTA advocacy

Writing: Opinion/editorial writing
Column: Support bill to stop flavored-tobacco sales

Awards of distinction

Commemoration/tribute
Nominate an HSTA member for the prestigious 2024 S.T.A.C.Y. Award

Commemoration/tribute
Tireless teacher advocate, tough negotiator Joan Husted dies at 85

Writing: Feature story
Nānākuli High and Intermediate teacher will expand award-winning student sustainability program to Maui

HSTA’s Communications team, featured photo from left: Keoki Kerr, Director of Communications and SEAComm President; Jill Meinecke, Communications Specialist; Terri Inefuku, Communications Specialist; Chris Schubert, Media Specialist.