NSBA’s Magna Awards have been recognizing innovative school district programs for more than 25 years. Our winning programs for 2023—the Grand Prize winners, the Silver Award winners, and Honorable Mentions—represent the enormous efforts of school leaders and district staff to reinvent and rethink education for their students, staff, and communities.

The three Grand Prize winners, nine Silver Award winners, and six Honorable Mentions tell the stories of school leaders who found creative solutions to district challenges. They help students with after-school programs, career pathways, and other new opportunities to reach their full potential. We hope that the information in our pages this issue will give you information and ideas to use in your own districts.

At NSBA’s Annual Conference in Orlando in April, the three Grand Prize-winning districts will speak at a special Master Class session, and the winners will be honored. Videos featuring the Grand Prize programs will be released at the second general session at the conference and will be available online at nsba.org/asbj in mid-April.

We’d love to feature your programs here next year, and we’re excited to announce that, for the first time, we will be opening our application period for the 2024 Magna Awards during our conference in April.

Also in this issue, we feature an article by Contributing Editor Glenn Cook, “Breaking Barriers,” that looks at how rural district staff bring mental health services to students and their families. In “Learning by Doing,” Susan Gentz writes about a project-based learning program in Iowa.

Creative classrooms and learning experiences promote students' achievement and their ability to be innovative. NSBA salutes the 2023 Magna Award winners and the thousands of districts nationwide that regularly solve challenges with creativity and out-of-the-box strategies to propel student success.

Until next time. . .

Around NSBA

A group of high school students paint on canvases during an art class.

2023 Magna Awards Grand Prize Winners

School districts rethink and reinvent education for their students, staff, and communities.