The district’s rebranding effort to Valley Hawks has garnered national recognition from the National School Public Relations Association. This year, the district earned an “Award of Excellence” for its branding process that engaged the community, built a comprehensive plan to introduce new mascot images, and delivered the final mascot options for the school community to select. The district’s rebranding effort competed against school districts from across the nation. You can find a full listing of award winners from this year’s NSPRA 2025 awards here.
The district worked in partnership with Capital Region BOCES Engagement and Development Services division and a district-focused stakeholder group which consisted of volunteer community members, students, and staff that reviewed the final mascot designs to be considered as the new school mascot.
The branding initiative was performed in response to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) releasing official guidance for schools that had Native American imagery associated with the school mascot. Schools that were affected by the guidance were required to implement final changes by the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. The Fonda-Fultonville Central School District officially incorporated the Valley Hawks mascot at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
What’s NSPRA?
The National School Public Relations Association provides school communication training and services to school leaders throughout the United States, Canada, and the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools worldwide. As the leader in school communication™ since 1935, NSPRA today serves more than 2,900 members who work primarily as communication directors in public school districts and education organizations. NSPRA provides high-quality professional development programming through on-demand learning, an annual National Seminar, webinars, online forums, and resources. Additional information can be found here: www.nspra.org.