Earlier this month, HMC’s Alex Parslow and Dr. Michael Hendricks, superintendent of Charter Oak USD, were presented with two awards at the California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) awards ceremony. CalSPRA is an organization of education public relations professionals, administrators, and school personnel who are responsible for communications. CalSPRA’s Excellence in Communication Awards Program recognizes superior achievement in meeting strategic goals through high-quality communications and public relations programs.

HMC and Charter Oak received an Award of Excellence in the Writing category for the District’s HMC Designing Futures Foundation Grant Proposal. Once the grant opportunity was identified for the District to pursue, the Charter Oak USD Governing Board and Superintendent discussed the need to renovate the Charter Oak High School Business Academy (The Academy) computer lab. They drafted the grant proposal with a message that addressed how the funding would enable The Academy to make vital updates to the hardware and software in its two computer labs, which are an essential and integral part of the Information Technology Pathway at the school. The grant writing was effective and successful, Charter Oak USD was able to secure a $10,000 grant from the DFF, which is the largest amount the foundation distributes.

HMC and Charter Oak also received an Award of Merit in the California Gold category, the top statewide recognition honoring superior educational public relations programs. The Charter Oak Partners in Education (COPE), which HMC’s Alex Parslow serves as CEO of, is a charitable nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting and enhancing quality educational programs for Charter Oak Unified School District. COPE raises funds on behalf of the District and works with the Board of Education to direct these resources toward projects that benefit students and the community alike. One major special event that COPE has established to achieve its mission is its annual Hall of Fame Dinner. The communications program developed in support of the Hall of Fame dinner was highly successful and recognized as a top in the State.