The Education Service Center Region 12 Communications Team earned state-level recognition at the 2026 Texas School Public Relations Association Star Awards Banquet on Wednesday, February 18. The nonprofit service organization took home an award for all six entries, including one Crystal Commendation Award and one Best of Category.

“These awards affirm what we see every day in our Communications Team,” said Dr. Kenny Berry, Executive Director of ESC Region 12. “They are skilled professionals who lead with creativity, integrity, and purpose. Their work ensures our mission is not only stated, but clearly seen and understood across Region 12.”

The TSPRA Star Awards feature 47 main categories, nine Crystal Commendation Awards and one Platinum Award. Entries are judged by communications professionals from outside of Texas and evaluated on design, creativity, effectiveness and overall quality. Submissions are judged in divisions based on student enrollment, and, as a Regional Service Center, ESC Region 12 competes in the over 40,000 students division.

ESC Region 12 received the Crystal Commendation Award in the Foundation/Partnership Special Event/Celebration category for the 2025 Grant Circus: Staff Donation Campaign, which raised funds for the ESC Region 12 Technology Foundation. Crystal Commendation is awarded to a multifaceted promotional program or campaign that employs a variety of media, spans a period of time, and encompasses well-defined goals, strategies or activities. There are nine Crystal categories, with only one winner per category, regardless of division. 

The Service Center also received Best of Category in the Holiday/Greeting Card category for Happy Valentine’s Day from ESC Region 12, a project featuring five Valentine’s Day card designs that reflected the roles and personalities of the organization's Executive Cabinet. Best of Category is awarded to an entry that stands out from all other Gold Awards in the same category and division for its exceptional creativity and quality. 

The organization also received the following awards:

• Gold Star Award in the Logo, Trademark, Symbol category for the 2024 Thrive Girls Empowerment Conference Logo, which was designed to convey a sense of hope and opportunities for growth for event attendees. 
• Gold Star Award in the Promotional Video category for the 2025 Parent & Family Engagement Conference Promo, which unveiled the statewide conference’s location and theme.
• Gold Star Award in the Website - Template Driven Design category for the updated ESC Region 12 Website, which was launched in September 2024 with a cleaner, customer-centric design.
• Silver Star Award in the E-Newsletter category for Rundown: ESC Region 12 Employee Newsletter.