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North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS)unveiled a new, unified, Viking emblem for its sports and activities.

The new emblem, intended to capture the spirit of Viking Pride, was the result of an exhaustive process involving students, staff, and community members.

NBAPS began the process of updating its Viking emblem last winter, and hosted two community meetings to receive input on the end product. In order to reach a wider audience, the school district also surveyed community members, students, and staff. The school district received in excess of 700 responses to the survey.

When analyzed, the overwhelming direction of respondents was to create an emblem that represented the following ideas: Warrior, helmet with horns, strength.

At the May 5 community meeting, attendees viewed a multitude of ideas. The overwhelming response to those designs was a rough version of the finished product.

The final design, a Viking helmet with a prominently displayed "V", over a coat or arms emblazoned with "NB" and "Vikings" is meant to capture the spirit of the Viking without being gender specific.

To cater to different sports and activities, the new emblem has elements that can be separated and used individually, such as the "V", the "NB", and the "Vikings." The helmet is also an option without the coat of arms.

Examples have also been created in black and white, as well as reverse colors to create additional options for coaches and advisers.

“NBAPS is proud of the process and the final result, which ushers in a new chapter in the rich North Branch Vikings tradition,” Community Relations Coordinator Pay Tepoorten said.

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