MSPC named national finalist for Marketing Campaign of the Year

Mountain States Policy Center has been named one of three national finalists for the State Policy Network's (SPN) 2026 Communication Excellence Award for Marketing Campaign of the Year for its Idaho Kids Win campaign.

The annual awards recognize the most effective public policy communications campaigns in the country. Idaho Kids Win was selected as one of three finalists from among state-based think tanks and advocacy organizations nationwide.

Launched by Mountain States Policy Center following the passage of Idaho's historic education freedom legislation, Idaho Kids Win was designed to ensure families understood and could access the new opportunities available to their children.

"Many organizations stop after a policy victory," said Chris Cargill, president of Mountain States Policy Center. "We recognized that passing a law was only the beginning. Idaho Kids Win was created to help families understand their options, navigate the application process, and ultimately benefit from the opportunities lawmakers intended to create."

The campaign combined legal advocacy, grassroots outreach, digital engagement, and direct parent support. When opponents challenged the program before the Idaho Supreme Court, Mountain States Policy Center filed an amicus brief and provided research and polling that became central to the constitutional debate. The Court ultimately upheld the law, preserving educational opportunities for Idaho families.

Mountain States Policy Center then took Idaho Kids Win directly to communities across the state, organizing ten town halls and creating IdahoKidsWin.com as a central resource hub for families. Through phone calls, emails, and a real-time messaging platform, staff provided personalized assistance to parents navigating the new program.

The campaign generated more than 6.2 million video views, helped more than 30,000 families access information through the Idaho Kids Win website, and contributed to more than 10,000 students enrolling in the program during its first year.

"At the heart of Idaho Kids Win were Idaho families," Cargill said. "Parents repeatedly told us they needed trusted information and someone to help them navigate the process. This recognition reflects the incredible impact that can happen when policy organizations focus not only on passing reforms, but on making sure those reforms reach the people they were designed to help."

The winner of SPN's Marketing Campaign of the Year Award will be announced in Orlando, Florida in August.

About Mountain States Policy Center

Mountain States Policy Center is an independent research organization based in Idaho dedicated to empowering individuals and strengthening communities through free-market solutions that advance economic opportunity, educational freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government.