CPRS Vancouver’s Mentorship Program gives PR practitioners a wonderful opportunity to benefit from the guidance of fellow experienced public relations professionals. Mentorship is available for all members, with opportunities for mentorships based on experience, sector, specific skills, and APR designation.
Testimonials
“Participating in the program as a mentor had multiple benefits for me. First, it was great to pay it forward with guidance, as others did for me when I was starting out. Second, I felt encouraged about the breadth of talent coming up through the profession. Third, being a mentor kept me refreshed on my own processes and perspectives regarding communications and public relations, and continued learning is always a good thing! Highly recommend!”
- Stu Chase, 2024 - 2025
"I am new in Vancouver and the CPRS Mentorship has been an invaluable resource that helped me gain skills and confidence needed to grow in my job and the PR industry. My mentor was a great match. She was caring, organized and great at providing guidance in fields I needed to improve to go one step further in my career, such as press release writing, public speaking and building relationships with journalists. I am still in contact with my mentor and I know I can count on her whenever I need help or advice. I definitely recommend the mentorship program to all new PR practitioners."
- Klaudia
“Mentorship is the most rewarding part of my professional life. CPRS paired me with a mentee who was bright, driven and keen to try new things to learn and grow. She came prepared with thoughtful objectives for each session. And I learned as much from her through our work together. Even though the program is over we keep in touch and support one another in our career goals."
- Naseam Thorseth, 2024 - 2025
"I’ve always wanted a mentor, but didn’t know how to go about finding one. The CPRS Mentorship Program made it easy to find a mentor in my field who was really interested in guiding me. The mentor I was paired with was awesome – he had great insight and helped me gain confidence in my abilities and instincts. It also helps to share thoughts with someone outside your organization who has a fresh perspective. Though the official course of the program is over, we are still in touch and I am grateful to have this continued guidance. I would highly recommend the CPRS Mentorship program to any budding PR practitioner!"
- Justine
"Participating in the CPRS 2025 Mentorship Program has been a truly rewarding experience that reaffirmed my commitment to continuous learning and leadership in the PR profession. I look forward to continuing as a mentor, sharing insights, and empowering the next generation of practitioners. The exchange of cultural perspectives greatly enriched the experience and broadened our collective understanding."
- Nevasha Naidoo, 2016 - 2025
Program Overview
CPRS Vancouver members are invited to apply to be mentors and mentees. Applicants will then be paired to participate in a formal four-month program. The formal program requires that mentors and mentees:
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Commit to the full five months of the mentoring relationship;
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Attend the January kick-off event and end event (dates and delivery format TBD);
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Meet at least three times (virtually or by phone) throughout the program;
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At the end of the program, complete a survey about your mentoring experience;
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Be punctual and prepared for each meeting;
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Give advance notice if a meeting must be postponed.
2025/2026 Program Timeline
General timeline:
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Monday November 10th, 2025 - Applications open.
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Monday December 15th, 2025 - Application deadline.
- December 2025 - Formal program mentor/mentee pairings finalized and communicated to participants via email.
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January 2026 - Kick-off event (details and delivery format TBD).
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January to May 2026 - Formal one-on-one mentorship 5-month program, participants must meet (virtually or by phone) once per month, 5 times in total.
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June 2026 - Wrap-up with collection of feedback surveys via SurveyMonkey from all participants.
Application Form - 2025 - 2026
If you're ready to apply please complete this application form no later than December 15th.
Matching Mentors and Mentees
Mentors and mentees will be matched based on a number of factors including experience, shared career interests (industry type, organization type, job functions) and location.
Questions?
Email
Neil Henderson, Director of Mentorship
FAQs
For Mentees
A. This will depend on how many participants we recruit for the program. It is anticipated there will be a higher demand for mentors so it will limit how many people can be paired. We will make every effort to accommodate as many participants as possible.
A. We will pair candidates based on the type of coaching that is needed. We’ll be screening both mentees and mentors to make the best people possible matches.
A. This program is free for CPRS Vancouver members.
A. You are welcome to apply, but you will first need to become a CPRS Vancouver member to be considered as either a mentee or mentor. You can
sign up to become a member here.
A. In the current climate, we encourage all participants to put member health and safety first. We encourage mentees and mentors to meet virtually or by phone to set the objectives and outcomes. You can continue to meet virtually or by phone for your remaining meetings.
A. It is expected that each person pay his or her own way.
A. Try your best, since this is about sharing skills more than becoming friends. You are both professionals and have an interest in being in this relationship, so chances are things will go well. But if it is really not working out then e-mail Marsha D’Angelo, our Director of Mentorship at CPRS Vancouver, and she will try to help.