The PRSA Foundation

Flashback to last month's networking mixer presented by FINN Partners! Students and professionals networked while learning about the PRSA Foundation's scholarships and fellowships. A special thank you to Helen C. Shelton, MS, Global Chief Diversity Officer at FINN Partners, for giving welcome remarks and kicking off a fantastic event generously supported by FINN Partners, and to the past scholarship recipients who joined us: Madison Vance, Jiaqi Liu, Fatoumatta Sowe, Justin Carrington, and Emma Armendariz. Photo credit to Putri Prabowo.

Everyone is invited to join this empowering and inspiring virtual panel discussion, From Talk to Action: Attracting More Black Men to the Field of PR and Communications. During this virtual discussion, the panelists will share strategies on how to attract more Black men into the PR and communications profession, the importance of mentorship, what allies can do and how Black men can be successful within the profession. Panelists include: Chris Foster, CEO, Omnicom PR Group (OPRG) Dana Bolden, APR, chief communications officer, Colgate-Palmolive    Damon Jones, chief communications officer, Procter & Gamble Artis Twyman, vice president of communications, Los Angeles Rams Thomas Bennett III, 2025 president of the PRSA Foundation and senior vice president at FleishmanHillard, will moderate the panel discussion. Representation in the PR and communications profession is critical; it’s hard to become something that you rarely if ever see. Everyone attending this virtual panel discussion, whether you’re a Black male in the profession or an ally, will walk away with tangible things they can do to impact the numbers. Presented by the PRSA Foundation. All proceeds from registration fees will benefit the PRSA Foundation. Learn more and register at https://lnkd.in/eiJwmyvW.

The PRSA Foundation will provide the PRSA College of Fellows Certificate in Principles of Public Relations Grant to qualifying students and young professionals to cover the cost of the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations study course and examination. This grant is funded by the PRSA College of Fellows. The College of Fellows believes in the importance of students and recent graduates entering the life-long ladder of professional development through PRSA membership and participation. That progression begins with PRSSA membership, followed by the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations, earning Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) through the Universal Accreditation Board, and potentially culminating with induction into the College of Fellows. The grant program will be under the oversight of PRSA Foundation, with the College of Fellows managing fundraising and the selection committee process. Awards will be given twice annually. Applications for the fall/winter are due April 30. Applications for the spring/summer are due November 1. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eVFbXXKv

Thank you to everyone who attended our networking mixer yesterday! Students and professionals networked while learning about the PRSA Foundation's scholarships and fellowships. A special thank you to FINN Partners for presenting the event, HermesPR and Mission North for talking with students about your fellowships, and the five past scholarship recipients who joined us: Madison Vance, Jiaqi Liu, Fatoumatta Sowe, Justin Carrington, and Emma Armendariz.

Applications to our 2025 fellowship program are now open! Together with Mission North , Agean Public Relations, The Bliss Group, Greenough Communications, HermesPR, The Key PR, LaunchSquad, and V2 Communications, we're awarding eight fellowships for public relations/communications college students from historically underrepresented communities. This year, we’re awarding eight fellowships, each with some combination of scholarships, stipends, and paid summer internships: AGEAN Public Relations Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 5-week remote internship. Bliss-Baker Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 8-week internship in New York, NY. Greenough Fellowship: $3,500 scholarship, 8-week internship in Boston, MA. HermesPR Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 6-week internship in New York, NY. The Key PR Fellowship: $10,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, 8-week internship in San Francisco, CA. LaunchSquad Fellowship: $15,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, 8-week remote internship. Mission North The Future Is…Fellowship: $35,000 scholarship, $6,000 stipend, 8-week internship in New York, NY or San Francisco, CA. V2 Communications Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 8-week internship in Boston, MA Applications are open now. Deadline is Monday, March 3. Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/eXMKBHUd

Celebrate Giving Tuesday by supporting the PRSA Foundation! By giving, you help us invest in the future of our profession and promote diversity in public relations and communications. Learn more about the PRSA Foundation's mission here: https://lnkd.in/ed5pWHB9

The PRSA Foundation and the Glen M. Broom Center for Professional Development in Public Relations (Broom Center) at San Diego State University announced today the launch of the Glen Broom Mentorship Award, an annual grant for a university professor who has inspired students through mentorship and job placement support.   Glen Broom, known for his passion and drive to help his students, was most recognized nationally for being the author and or co-author of six editions of one of the leading educational books on public relations, “Cutlip and Center’s Effective Public Relations” which has been translated into 10 languages. Broom passed away from a heart attack in 2019 at the age of 78 and was recently recognized in the PRSA book, “75 Years of Impact and Influence: People, Places and Moments In Public Relations History.”   The Glen Broom Mentorship Award will honor a current public relations educator who has demonstrated excellence in education and mentorship and has had an impact on students’ careers and lives. The award will be paid directly to the award winner’s educational institution and designated for her or his research or education expenses for the following school year. The grant will be presented annually at the PRSSA ICON student conference, in which the professor will be recognized in front of their peers.   “The Glen Broom Mentorship Award is the PRSA Foundation’s first award just for educators,” said Antonio Crane, president, PRSA Foundation. “This award acknowledges the incredible impact Dr. Broom had on our profession through education and mentorship and the award will recognizes the next generation of professors who are committed to mentoring diverse students from all walks of life, so they can excel in their education and career.”   Former PRSSA member, Broom student and current PRSA member, Scott Pansky, Co-Founder of Allison Worldwide, worked with the PRSA Foundation to develop the award program in honor of his former mentor. “Dr. Broom was not only my mentor, but a good friend and coach,” said Pansky. “Glen challenged me to set the curve in my courses and supported me in developing public relations programs on campus. And, when looking for a job, he introduced me to Scott Allison, another former alumnus, who I have worked with for more than 30 years.”   Pansky, Allison and several other alumni were original donors to the Broom Center. Through the Broom Initiative, the Center invests in the people in PR who are improving the practice. PRSA is the leading professional organization serving the public relations and communications community. During his career, Dr. Broom was recognized by PRSA with the Outstanding Educator Award in 1991 and the Otto Bos Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Diego chapter of the organization. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/esKsd3pv

This month, the PRSA Foundation named Thomas Bennett III as President-Elect and welcomed Darrel Ng to the Board of Trustees. Thomas Benett is an HBCU alumni with over 22 years of experience. He is a Senior Vice President at FleishmanHillard, a global PR and communications agency that was named the 2023 Agency of the Year by PRWeek. In his role at FleishmanHillard, he helps lead efforts to drive new business and organic growth for the agency and provides strategic consultation for clients around DEI. Additionally, he works with all FleishmanHillard General Managers across North America, EMEA, and APAC on their local office diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans. Darrel Ng is a seasoned strategic communications and marketing executive, leading a team of 40+ at a Fortune 25 health care company. He is currently the Vice President for Communications and Marketing and chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at Health Net, where the business unit leads the enterprise with a 40% participation rate in the company’s Employee Inclusion Groups.

Today we are announcing our 2024 class of fellows, which was conceived by and funded through Mission North’s cross-industry diversity initiative that aims to empower the next generation of PR professionals. The collaborative effort creates pathways for individuals historically excluded from leadership positions in the public relations industry by offering opportunities to gain valuable work experience while offsetting some of the financial burdens of tuition and other education expenses. Six different PR agencies support the program, which includes a combination of scholarships and stipends awarded through the PRSA Foundation totaling $80,500, and paid internships with each agency. This year, the fellowships will be awarded to: ●       Agean Public Relations Fellowship: Fatoumatta Sowe, Cornell University ●       The Bliss Group Bliss-Baker Fellowship: Jalani Isaac, St. John’s University ●       Just Drive Media Communications Fellowship: Evelyn Ealey, Elon University ●       LaunchSquad Fellowship: Natalie Aldous, Brigham Young University ●       Method Communications Fellowship: Venecia Easter, Florida A&M University ●       Mission North The Future Is… Fellowship: Naiyana Williams, Hampton University The fellows will complete a five-to-eight-week paid internship this summer, using a curriculum developed by Mission North following the launch of its The Future Is… Fellowship in 2022. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/dNCVytv2

One week left to apply for PRSA Foundation scholarships! We're awarding over over $66,000 in scholarships for public relations and communications students this year, including scholarships just for PRSSA members. The application deadline is Tuesday, April 30. Learn more & apply at https://lnkd.in/eJT3PHZn