Yorktown CSD receives national recognition in three key areas

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y.—The Yorktown Central School District has received multiple national recognitions in recent weeks, highlighting the district’s commitment to innovation, student engagement, and community connection. 

The district’s Innovation Grants (iGrants) program has been named a 2025 Promising Practice by Character.org, a national organization that honors effective initiatives promoting character development in schools. Launched in the 2023-24 school year, the iGrants initiative provides faculty and staff the opportunity to apply monthly for grant funding of curriculum-driven projects that promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and real-world learning. Projects funded through iGrants have included student-run coffee carts that build life skills and confidence, DNA testing labs in middle school science classes, a Disney Imagineering program, and schoolwide visits from BluePath service dogs to support social-emotional learning. 

Yorktown was also named a 2025 Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation. This national distinction recognizes school districts for their outstanding efforts to make music education accessible and integral to a well-rounded academic experience. The recognition reflects the dedication of Yorktown’s music educators, administrators, students, families, and community members, who consistently support and celebrate music as a vital part of public education. 

Additionally, the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) recognized Yorktown’s communications efforts with two awards: 

• A Merit Award in the Social Media Campaign category for The Yorktown Minute, a weekly video series featuring Superintendent Dr. Ron Hattar sharing upcoming events and key updates directly with the community. Designed to be brief, clear, and engaging, the series was launched in response to shifting trends in how families consume information. In its inaugural year, The Yorktown Minute has received over 110,000 video views across social media platforms. 

• An Honorable Mention in the Newsletter category for its digital publication, Inside Yorktown CSD, which provides timely updates and celebrations from across the district. 

“Amazing things are happening in our school district each day, and I am pleased that our district is being recognized nationally, across several areas, for its terrific work,” Superintendent Ron Hattar said. “I am thankful to our faculty, staff and administrative team for their unwavering effort to make Yorktown a special place for students.  We are fortunate to work with amazing children and families each day, and we look forward to continuing and building upon the great things happening in our excellent school district.”