41st Annual Educational Advertising Awards spotlight Penn Foster’s integrated campaigns designed to reach new audiences across emerging digital platforms

PHOENIX, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Penn Foster earned multiple honors in the 41st Annual Educational Advertising Awards, the largest educational advertising competition in the country, for integrated social media campaigns designed to connect with audiences exploring nontraditional pathways to education and careers.

Penn Foster earned Gold and Silver recognition across TikTok Content, Snapchat Content, and Integrated Marketing Campaign categories. This award stood out among more than 2,000 entries from over 1,000 colleges, universities, and secondary schools across all 50 states and numerous foreign countries. Winners were selected by a national panel of higher education marketers, advertising creative directors, and marketing professionals.

“This recognition reflects our team’s deep commitment to understanding the learners most likely to succeed with a Penn Foster education and reaching them in ways that resonate,” said Su Li Rivera, Chief Marketing Officer, Penn Foster Group. “Today, there are more paths forward than ever before, and people are beginning to realize that. Our job is to make sure they know their options.”

Penn Foster serves learners who may not see themselves in traditional education narratives, including people who are working full-time, battling chronic illness or disability, raising children, or otherwise navigating lives that don’t fit neatly into a traditional four-year path. For these audiences, awareness of alternative paths is often the first barrier. The honored work reflects an engagement strategy built around reaching them through the platforms they already use, with content designed to feel native, relevant, and authentic.

Judges recognized the campaign for capturing a broader shift in how people think about education, where a traditional four-year path is no longer seen as the only, or even the default, route to a meaningful career.

That approach also translated into meaningful gains in learner engagement and outcomes. Penn Foster saw stronger connections with prospective and current learners across key channels, with Meta engagement increasing 123% and TikTok rising 63%, alongside expanded reach through platforms like Twitch and Snapchat that meet learners where they are. These efforts helped more learners discover and explore education pathways, contributing to a 55% increase in Back-to-School web traffic and a 128% year-over-year lift in brand awareness, driven by improved access to information and clearer pathways to enrollment.

These gains translated into positive outcomes, with enrollments under the age of 19 increasing year-over-year and start rates also improving, reflecting stronger engagement among learners entering Penn Foster programs.

As a nationally accredited institution offering career-focused programs across high school, healthcare, veterinary technology, skilled trades, and more, Penn Foster provides flexible, affordable options for learners at different life stages. Its marketing strategy is increasingly focused on ensuring those options are visible to the people who need them most.

Recognition from the Educational Advertising Awards, whose judges represent the highest levels of expertise in education marketing, underscores the effectiveness of this approach. Penn Foster received the following honors:

• Gold, TikTok Content: “Meeting Under-19 Audiences Where They Are: TikTok”
• Gold, Other Social Media Content: “Snapchat Ads That Captured the Under-19 Audience”
• Silver, Integrated Marketing Campaign: “Engaging the Under-19 Audience”

The full list of 41st Annual Educational Advertising Awards winners is available at https://educationaladvertisingawards.com/winners-list/winners-list-2026/.

About Penn Foster
Penn Foster is a leading provider of online, career-focused education for learners seeking flexible pathways to high school completion and careers in high-demand fields such as healthcare and veterinary care. A pioneer in accessible education for more than a century, Penn Foster has helped generations of learners build practical skills and earn credentials aligned with workforce needs. Founded in 1890, Penn Foster focuses on creating pathways to greater economic mobility through real-world, in-demand skills designed to support long-term success in a rapidly evolving job market. Learn more at pennfoster.edu.

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