Our fifth annual Best of School Social Media Awards was bigger and better than ever! 

With just shy of 400 submissions (392, to be exact!) from three countries, 39 states, and 239 individuals, my team and I had our work cut out for us. There were just SO many fantastic accounts, posts, and campaigns to evaluate! School communicators are doing show-stopping things online, and you all amaze me, year after year. 

But we narrowed it down, once again, and selected 25 Golden Gribble winners for 2025. Among these 25, we had an even split between #SocialSchool4EDU Crew members and non-members, and plenty of first-time winners in the mix. 

Are you ready to get inspired by them!? Check out these shining stars, and consider how you can apply their best practices to your own school!

 

🏆 Best Contest Award – Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, MI – Jason Lewis

Jason Lewis from Walled Lake Consolidated Schools in Michigan mastered summer engagement with a weekly mystery photo contest that had the community buzzing! His photo clues sometimes earned 300-500 views in the first 30 minutes, with winners scoring prize packs that included a cooler, beach ball, frisbee, sunglasses, water bottle, stress ball, and pen. 

The free, accessible nature of this contest earned rave reviews from families, while secondary prizes kept everyone excited to participate week after week!

    

🏆 Best Enrollment Video Award – Union School District, CA – Lauren van Herk

Lauren van Herk from Union School District in California created an engaging enrollment video that placed students center stage as narrators! Recorded during their after-school program, the video combined authentic student voices with eye-catching B-roll footage and simple text overlays to highlight key information.

Created entirely in Canva and boosted with ad dollars on social media, the video reached impressive numbers with over 12,000 Facebook views and nearly 12,000 Instagram views. This proves that smart use of existing content and student voices can create compelling, effective results.

 

🏆 Best Reels Page Award – Eufaula City Schools, AL – Stephanie Douglas

Stephanie Douglas from Eufaula City Schools in Alabama has mastered the art of creating immersive Reels that transport followers into daily school life! Using a combination of Canva, CapCut, and Instagram – with CapCut being her go-to tool for simplicity – she pairs engaging footage with perfectly selected music to tell compelling stories.

Stephanie’s Reels showcase how the right tools and creative vision can transform everyday school moments into captivating social media content.

     

🏆 Best Short-Form Video Interview Award – Highland Central School District, NY – Jessica Murray and Jordyn Long

Jessica Murray and Jordyn Long from Highland Central School District in New York created viral magic with their hilarious #NationalRetroDay video featuring elementary students sharing their unique perspectives on the 1980s! Enhanced with captions, sound effects, and fun images, their creative approach captured audiences across platforms, earning nearly 300,000 views and 17,000 reactions on Instagram alone.

Jessica’s team proved that combining kids’ natural charm with strategic editing can create massively shareable content, with the video also gaining 13,000 views and strong engagement on Facebook!

 

🏆 Best Student-Run Social Media Award – New Life Academy, MN – New Life News Team

Michelle Jacobson nominated the New Life News Team at New Life Academy in Minnesota, which takes student-run social media to the next level! The class has full ownership of their social media presence – from creation and filming to editing and posting – while building school spirit and showcasing their Christ-centered, joy-filled culture.

Going beyond typical social media management, these students are developing real-world leadership and storytelling skills, earning recognition from content marketing professionals for their outstanding work. Check ‘em out, and get inspired by what’s possible when you empower students:

     

🏆 Best Video Series Created by a Student Award – Delavan-Darien School District, WI – Ashley Duchemin, Grace Johnson & Drew Halbesma

Ashley Duchemin nominated Delavan-Darien High School’s first Marketing and Communications Youth Apprentice for an award, who created an innovative 9-week video series introducing their new superintendent. The senior’s creative approach included asking imaginative questions like “How does WiFi work?” and “If you had your own country, what would it be called?”

The series not only built a fun connection with their new leader but also captured the community’s hearts, with followers eagerly anticipating each Wednesday’s release. 

Comments like “These videos are the best!!!” and “I look forward to these every Wednesday” prove that student-led content can create meaningful engagement!

 

🏆 Cutest Clicks and Shares Award – Duluth Public Schools, MN – Adelle Wellens

Adelle Wellens from Duluth Public Schools in Minnesota turned a heartwarming moment into viral gold when she shared a sixth grader’s creative snow day bribe – complete with cookies and a persuasive note to the superintendent! The post reached over 54,000 people on Facebook (including 46,199 non-followers), generating 1,365 reactions, 200 comments, and 259 shares.

Adelle shared that her post caught media attention from Fox 9 News and other outlets. When school was indeed cancelled, Adelle made a playful response – “The cookies in no way influenced this decision, but also did not hurt it either” – that left employees wondering just how many cookies it takes to get a snow day!

🏆 Facebook Standout Award – Grants Pass School District 7, OR – Kristin Hosfelt

Kristin Hosfelt transformed Grants Pass School District 7’s social media presence in Oregon by shifting to a “90% celebration, 10% information” strategy that aligns perfectly with their district values. In just five years, she grew their following from 1,700 to 6,000, matching their student population and earning consistent praise from board members, staff, and families.

Kristin explains her philosophy best:

Ultimately, I see our efforts as part of a larger mission to make the positive so loud the negative becomes almost impossible to hear. Every post, every celebration, contributes to shifting the narrative around public education, showcasing the amazing work happening every day in our schools! We are GP!

     

🏆 Fantastic Voting Campaign Award – Maricopa Unified School District #20, AZ – Montana Roberts

Montana Roberts from Maricopa Unified School District #20 in Arizona orchestrated a winning voting campaign that seamlessly blended physical and digital materials with consistent branding throughout. Her comprehensive strategy included supporting the political action committee and creating a dedicated podcast episode about the ballot question.

Montana’s creative approach, especially her engaging video content, showcases how strategic communication can effectively mobilize community support for important district initiatives. Here’s a selection of some of her winning campaign materials:

Website:

Fact Sheet:

Social Media Post:

🏆 Inclusion Award – Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, CO – Miranda Lopez

Miranda Lopez from Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 in Colorado captured a beautiful story of inclusion when she discovered freshman volleyball players communicating through sign language with their Deaf teammate. This video, complete with narration and signing, showcases authentic inclusion, teamwork, and friendship, reaching 6,600 views and touching hearts across the community.

Miranda shared how this story resonated within the community:

The video sparked conversation about the importance of inclusivity and diversity, reinforcing our district’s mission to create an environment where every student feels valued and supported.

 

🏆 Instagram Idol Award – Montgomery County Public Schools, MD – Jermaine Rowley and Edith Lozada

Jermaine Rowley and Edith Lozada from Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland have transformed their Instagram feed into a visual masterpiece with an eye-catching photo grid that puts their school community center stage! Built on student collaboration, they’ve created a dynamic mix of content, including engaging interviews and creative videos, while skillfully incorporating trends. 

Their strategic blend of student and staff stories proves that a well-planned Instagram aesthetic combined with authentic storytelling can create a compelling digital showcase of school life! Take a scroll through yourself, and you’ll see exactly what I mean:

    

🏆 Instagram Stories Award – Pima County School Superintendent’s Office, AZ – Matthew Stamp

Matthew Stamp from Pima County School Superintendent’s Office in Arizona elevates Instagram Stories to an art form with his meticulous attention to detail! Combining stickers, text, music, and drawing elements, he creates immersive narratives that truly engage viewers.

As Matthew shares, “I am passionate about putting in the time and effort to bring the viewer on the journey with me.” His dedication to authentic storytelling hasn’t gone unnoticed, proving that thoughtful Instagram Story creation can transform everyday school moments into compelling digital experiences.

     

🏆 Leveraging LinkedIn Award – Royal Oak Schools, MI – Amy Murphy

Amy Murphy from Royal Oak Schools in Michigan has tapped into LinkedIn’s potential by strategically sharing student achievements, staff excellence, and district initiatives on the platform. Her focused approach creates valuable connections with local businesses, alumni, and professionals, extending the district’s reach beyond the typical platforms used by schools.

Amy demonstrates how LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for schools to build meaningful relationships within their broader professional communities!

🏆 Long-Form Video Award – Monroe Local Schools, OH – Adam Marcum

Adam Marcum from Monroe Local School District in Ohio created an emotionally powerful graduation video by weaving together student speeches with stunning visuals and a moving classical score. Using a Sony A71V with a 70-200 mm lens and drone footage from a graduating senior, he took a creative approach, forgoing a traditional shot list to authentically capture the event’s spirit.

The video resonated so deeply with the school community that the Superintendent featured it at the final staff meeting of the year, proving that sometimes the most impactful content comes from following your heart, rather than a script.

🏆 Outstanding Photography Award – William Penn School District, PA – Deirdre Abrahamsson

Deirdre Abrahamsson from William Penn School District in Pennsylvania captured the essence of a classroom experience through exceptional photography! Her stunning images of art students hard at work are works of art, by themselves.

Each carefully composed shot tells a compelling story, including “focus,” “teacher/student interaction,” “artistic skill,” and “learning in nature,” proving that thoughtful photography can transform everyday classroom activities into visual celebrations.

🏆 Power of Social Media Award – Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, TX – EMS ISD Communications Team

The EMS ISD Communications Team from Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD in Texas captured a heartwarming moment that perfectly illustrates the magic happening in public schools! A student had an emotional reaction to receiving a signed copy of her favorite library book, and the video went viral with over 317,000 views and 2,853 interactions on Facebook.

Matthew LeBlanc, a member of the Communications Team, reflected on the video’s lasting impact:

Even now, a couple of months later, the post continues to receive new comments and shares each day, many of them with stories about how a school librarian impacted their life or their child’s life. It has been a huge morale boost for the librarians in our school district, and at a time when books in schools are not always discussed in a positive light, it reminds us all about the power that a book can have on a child.

The story’s reach extended to NBC Nightly News, even resulting in a special Zoom meeting between the student and the author! Social media has real power!!

🏆 Shortest Video with the Biggest Impact Award – Upper Valley Career Center, OH – Megan Gray, Avery Allison & Matt McGillivary

Megan Gray, Avery Allison, and Matt McGillivary from Upper Valley Career Center in Ohio proved that trending content can showcase vocational education in an exciting and new way! Their clever take on a popular social media trend features their famous cow, Boone.

This very short yet effective video exploded to 1.4 million views, boosting student pride and creating friendly competition among programs eager to be featured. It’s a perfect example of how a brief, trending video can create a major impact with minimal production time!

🏆 Social Media Super Star Award – School District of Onalaska, WI – Nick Ragner

Nick Ragner from the School District of Onalaska in Wisconsin proves that a straightforward strategy can yield outstanding results! His approach focuses on what matters most: Showcasing students, staff, and community through high-quality content paired with thoughtful, concise captions that maintain the human touch while selectively using AI tools.

Nick weaves district branding and mission into every post. He’s creating a cohesive social media presence that truly connects with the community and audience!

🏆 Staff Highlight Award – Charlotte Christian School, NC – Erin Butler

Erin Butler from Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina has taken traditional staff spotlights to the next level. Check out these super engaging “Day in the Life” videos that capture authentic moments with personality and flair! Her trendy take on the school nurses’ daily tasks and peeks inside classroom life showcase staff members in a way that’s relatable and fun for viewers. 

These creative features not only celebrate staff but provide a genuine window into school culture – proving that when it comes to staff highlights, it’s worth taking notes from Erin’s playful, personal approach!

   

🏆 Staff Recruitment Award – Waukee Community School District, IA – Waukee CSD Communications Team

Speaking of staff, the Communications Team from Waukee Community School District in Iowa created recruitment magic by highlighting a particular part-time staff member via video. This simple story showcases Mr. Doug’s special connection with students, including his dedication to learning Spanish to better communicate with kids.

The Waukee CSD team distributed the video across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and newsletters, generating over 40,000 impressions. Their strategic approach, complete with a clear call-to-action to view job openings, proved successful, even leading to a bus driver hire and demonstrating how authentic storytelling can drive real recruitment results.

🏆 Storytelling Award – Old Town High School, ME – Scott Gordon

Scott Gordon from Old Town High School in Maine captured hearts nationwide with an extraordinary story of a teacher giving birth at school, told through masterful written storytelling! His post detailed how an instructor unexpectedly delivered her baby with help from the school nurse and resource officer – while her own father arrived driving the responding firetruck.

The perfectly crafted narrative, complete with touching generational connections and a lighthearted note about Baby Bella being “Class of 2042,” proved that compelling written content can rival video engagement. The viral post reached 60,000 people and garnered 144,000 views on Facebook, even catching the attention of People Magazine and “Live with Kelly & Mark.”

🏆 Student Highlight Award – Seneca Valley School District, PA – The Seneca Valley Communications Team

Morgan Waag and the Communications Team from Seneca Valley School District in Pennsylvania shared a touching story about a kindergartener’s remarkable achievement at the Regional Braille Challenge. The post celebrated how this dual media reader mastered enough braille in just four months to compete alongside her peers.

This heartwarming feature garnered over 23,000 Facebook views, proving that celebrating individual student achievements (especially those showcasing inclusivity and determination) helps build a stronger, more connected school community!

This post proves that not every story needs to be told through video. You can share a few photos along with a descriptive caption and get great results!

🏆 Trending Vertical Video Award – Seneca Valley School District, PA – The Seneca Valley Communications Team

Yes, the Seneca Valley Communications Team is appearing twice! The team from Seneca Valley School District in Pennsylvania took home two awards this year. This time around, they turned a trending “This or That”  video format into a creative staff introduction series that went viral with an incredible 1.7 million views and 1.2 million reach! 

The #SVFutureMakers campaign sparked massive engagement, gaining 500 new Facebook followers and increasing reach by 279,314. Their innovative approach strengthened staff morale, inspired widespread community participation, and caught national attention from other districts. By reimagining a trending format for multiple staff groups, they proved that fun, relatable content can transform standard staff introductions into viral celebrations!

🏆 True Spirit Storyteller Award – Tipp City Schools, OH – Liz Robbins

I’m so honored to give out this award to Liz Robbins from Tipp City Schools in Ohio. She proves that one-person communication teams can create a significant impact through authentic storytelling! 

Her genuine approach to sharing school stories has resulted in impressive growth, including a top post reaching 81,000 people and a remarkable 43% increase in followers during 2024.

Liz’s philosophy says it best: “It’s not about volume or flash – it’s about being genuine, consistent, and connected. And in that, I take tremendous pride.” Her success demonstrates that authentic storytelling always wins!!

     

🏆 Unique Storytelling Award – CiTi BOCES, NY – Jessica Sorell

Jessica Sorell from CiTi BOCES in New York brought creative storytelling to new heights with an ingenious video featuring Stark the golden retriever as the “spokesdog” for student-made dog treats! Her innovative approach, which included using the dog (played by a local middle school student) as the voiceover, showcased their A+ students’ entrepreneurial project.

Jessica’s unique concept garnered over 14,000 Instagram views and hundreds of Facebook shares, leading to booming treat sales and requests for similar dog-narrated features from other departments. Her creative storytelling not only supported student success but offered an engaging window into CiTi BOCES’ impactful programs!

Wrapping Up Another Incredible Year of Awards

Wow. Just WOW!

I’m proud of each and every one of you who showed up and showed off, even if you didn’t walk away with a trophy this year. The work you do is exceptionally important, telling the stories of your students and staff. 

I have to give a special second shout-out to the 13 winners who are also part of my membership program, which has empowered them to improve their storytelling skills. Of course, we didn’t use their status as members as a factor in these awards, yet I can’t help but recognize how their skills are growing, year over year!

• Stephanie Douglas
• Jessica Murray
• Adelle Wellens
• Kristin Hosfelt
• Montana Roberts
• Miranda Lopez
• Amy Murphy
• EMS ISD Communications Team
• Nick Ragner
• Waukee CSD Communications Team
• The Seneca Valley Communications Team
• Liz Robbins
• Jessica Sorell

Social media is a daily grind, and very few can truly appreciate how much effort and strategy go into your job. I see you, I appreciate you, and I wish I could give every single one of you the biggest awards!! 

Thank you to everyone who submitted themselves, this year, and please continue to do so even if you haven’t won yet. Keep telling those stories, and stay tuned for a special “runners up” blog in a few weeks. Subscribe to my email newsletter list so you never miss an update. 

One more thing! If you try out one of these ideas at your school, will you email me? You can reach me directly at andrea@socialschool4edu.com! I love seeing how you get inspired by these winners and then take it to the next level at your school. Let’s all continue to learn from each other!