$20,000 fellowship announced for BIPOC women interested in tech PR

The Public Relations Society of America Foundation and Mission North have partnered to offer Black, indigenous people of color who identify as female a fellowship worth $20,000.

According to the press release, ”The Future Is” marks the largest financial offering to a single student by the PRSA Foundation to date. It’s an annual fellowship that will award a $15,000 scholarship to a person interested in tech communications, science communications or digital marketing and design, plus a $5,000 stipend.

“The PR workforce has been long-tasked to become more diverse, and this is a time for organizations to go above and beyond in supporting students of color through financial resources, education and internships who are hoping to enter the industry,” said Aerial Ellis, Ed.D., president of The PRSA Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “In partnership with Mission North, we together embrace this challenge to create a more dynamic and inclusive industry. We are thankful to them for making this our largest award for a stellar recipient, and we hope many other organizations will follow their lead.”

“The Future Is” fellowship includes a paid, month-long internship at Mission North, a communications agency that works with such tech luminaries as Google, LinkedIn and Canva. They are tasked with communicating those companies’ work in the philanthropic sphere, particularly fighting climate change, combating disinformation and envisioning a better world.

“We’re engaged in ongoing, intensive work to learn and unlearn behaviors and to create opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to contribute, grow, earn and thrive in their careers,” said Mission North’s Tyler Perry, its co-chief executive officer. “Through our partnership with the PRSA Foundation, we are actively building a more progressive future for our industry — specifically, by creating pathways for individuals who’ve been historically excluded from leadership positions. It is our hope that we can catalyze momentum for change in diversity, belonging, and equity.”

Requirements for the fellowship include being a full-time student who is a rising junior or senior. The candidate must be pursuing a major in public relations, marketing and communications, digital marketing and design, and/or tech-marketing, and have a 2.5 GPA or higher. Candidates must also be authorized to work in the United States, and preference will be given to members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and those who are specifically interested in the space where public relations meets technology.

The deadline to apply is Monday, March 14.

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