OUR PROGRAMS

CPRS Foundation Indigenous PR Student Scholarship ($2,500)

Established in September 2020 by the CPRS Foundation for full and part-time students who identify as members of the First Nations, Inuit or Métis nations or communities and are working towards a diploma or degree in public relations, communications, social media, marketing-communications, at a recognized community college or university in Canada, are eligible to apply.

 

Applications may be made through Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships, and Awards Program.

Application deadlines are August 1, November 1, and February 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST

This endowed scholarship is made possible by foundational donations from five leading Canadian PR executives:

Bruce MacLellan, President & CEO, Proof Strategies and a past Chair of the CPRS Foundation

Dan Tisch, President & CEO, Argyle Public Relationships

Andrew Molson, Chair, Avenir Global

Lisa Kimmel, Chair & CEO Canada and Latin America, Edelman

Judy Lewis, Co-founder & Partner, Strategic Objectives and Chair of the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms.

 

The remaining funds were contributed by individual donors, primarily PR/communications professionals from across Canada.  

 

Endorsements

 

“Now more than ever we need Indigenous people’s voices in our industries, in our workplaces. I’m so incredibly excited to see this investment by CPRS Foundation in First Nation, Metis and Inuit across the country – to ensure our voices and perspectives can help shape and guide organizations for years to come.” – Robert Doane, MBA, Director of Communications, Carrier Sekani Family Services and Canadian Public Relations Society member. 

 

“Our profession must be more inclusive and as practitioners, we should share our success so that others can also enjoy careers and become new role models. We started discussions about this scholarship a year ago and it is more timely than ever,” said Bruce MacLellan, President & CEO, Proof Strategies, and a past Chair of the CPRS Foundation.  

 

“Our agency, which has become Canada’s most award-winning public relations firm, is led by women and has always been a champion of equality, diversity and inclusion, and social justice.  My personal support for this important new CPRS Foundation scholarship which is designed to offer more opportunity to Indigenous students, is an important step forward to help engage new perspectives in our profession and properly represent the diverse concerns and communities in our great country,” says Judy Lewis, Co-founder and Partner in Strategic Objectives and the Chair of the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms. 

CPRS Vancouver Island Chapter Professional Development Grant 

Through a gift from CPRS Vancouver Island Chapter, a grant is made annually for a member of the chapter to attend the CPRS national conference for the purpose of professional development. 

 

David Milliken Media Communications Award ($1,000)

Established by the CNW Group (now CISION) to honour the late David Milliken upon his retirement after more than 30 years’ of service with the Canada Newswire and CNW Group. The award recognizes David’s commitment to the important relationship between journalism and public relations and is awarded to a student in their final year of study in the bachelor of public relations program at the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, who demonstrates this understanding in their course and project work.   

 

Denis Racine Bursary ($1,000)

Established by the CPRS Vancouver Island Chapter to honour the late Denis Racine who was president of both CPRS (Vancouver Island) and CPRS National. The award is granted to a student member of the CPRS (Vancouver Island) chapter who is studying in a post-secondary public relations program and has completed three or more courses.   

 

Jack Yocom PR Profile Collection

Initiated by the CPRS College of Fellows and the CPRS Foundation (formerly known as the Communications + Public Relations Foundation), the PR Profile Collection provides a consistent method of recording the history of public relations in Canada through profiling the personalities who have developed and influenced the practice. The Foundation provides grants to develop the Collection. 

 

Greater Victoria Public Library Grant ($300-$400)

Through a gift from the CPRS Vancouver Island Chapter, a grant is given annually to the library with which to purchase public relations materials. Any British Columbia resident with a GVPL library card or a BC OneCard  can access the collection, which includes e-books.

 

Lou Cahill Scholarship in Communications ($1,250)

Established more than a decade ago to honour the work of public relations pioneer and founder of OEB Enterprises, Lou Cahill, who died in 2008 at the age of 94. It is awarded to a PR/communications student in their final year of study at Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, recognizing their academic excellence, community involvement and participation in charitable activities.  

 

Susan Frances Prize in Public Relations ($1,000)

Established by the Francis family of Calgary, AB, in cooperation with the CPRS Calgary Chapter, this prize honours the late Susan Francis, APR. It is awarded annually to a fourth-year student in a program at either Mount Saint Vincent University, SAIT or the University of Calgary, who has submitted a public relations project that will contribute to making the world a better place.  

 

Torchia Scholarship ($1,500)

Inspired by the career of Armand Torchia, who co-founded The Houston Group with Stan Houston and Torchia Communications with his son Jean-Claude Torchia, this scholarship is awarded to the student who best exemplifies the spirit and practice of bilingualism in the Canadian PR/communications profession, and is studying in one of Canada’s two official languages which is not his/her mother tongue.  

 

Calgary Legacy Scholarship ($1,000)

 

The Scholarship is awarded annually to a student studying public relations/communications in a recognized program at Mount Royal University, University of Calgary, or SAIT Polytechnic. In addition, the recipient will receive complimentary CPRS student membership for year three of his/her study, complimentary one-year bridge/affiliate membership upon completion of study, and complimentary registration for one CPRS Calgary event.