CPRS Student Scholarship – 2020 Application Details
Funded by CPRS Vancouver, the CPRS Vancouver Student Scholarship is awarded each year to a student who submits excellent project work for a real-world client. Past scholarship recipients have found themselves in demand professionally and many have been offered jobs soon after they have graduated as a result of the award.
The winner will receive a one-time scholarship of $2,000 CAD.
Deadline for applications
The deadline for the 2020 CPRS Vancouver Student Scholarship will be November 20, 2020.
Who is eligible?
Students who apply for the scholarship must:
- Be a current student member of the Canadian Public Relations Society, and
- Be enrolled in a public relations or communications program in the Lower Mainland or the Fraser Valley.
Current CPRS Vancouver student members who are currently enrolled in a PR Program, or who graduated in 2020 or 2021 can apply for the scholarship.
Scholarship criteria
To apply for the 2020 Scholarship, students must do the following:
- Complete the online form and attach required documents
- The required documents are:
- Your recent transcript (PDF file)
- A detailed description of the project (must not exceed 3000 words, in PDF format). The description must include the following subsection headers:
- Background
- Strategy
- Execution
- Measurement
- Lessons Learned
- Any video or audio files, copies of publicity (PDF files) or other supporting materials (if available)
- A reference letter from the client or supervisor for the project (in the form of a copy of an email or on letterhead is acceptable, in PDF format). We will not accept references from professors. The reference must come from your client or supervisor who managed the project. Note that one of the judges may phone your reference. (We will not assign a point value to references however, because different clients have a different understanding or expectation of PR work. The reference will be used to flag anything exceptional and support our final decision.)
Only real-world projects are accepted for submission.
CPRS Vancouver is putting its stamp of approval on the successful application, so submissions must show experience with real-world projects. Students who have built their portfolio through paid/volunteer projects demonstrate the initiative required of a scholarship recipient.
Classwork that involves a real-world, external client will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
How will my scholarship application be evaluated?
Your application will be given a score out of 100 points. It will be judged by a panel composed of the CPRS Vancouver Director of Students and Education, and three senior public relations practitioners accredited in public relations (APR).
For more information on scoring, refer to the sample scorecard.
Judges will score each application independently. The judges’ decision is final.
If no suitable application is submitted, judges may decide not to award a scholarship in 2020. All applicants will receive constructive feedback on their application.
Past winning submissions
2011 Winner*
2015 Winner
*In years past students were asked to submit three projects, as opposed to the one we require now. Therefore, the 2011 winner submitted work on three projects, but each project considered individually demonstrates the level of work expected for a winning submission.
When will the winner be announced?
The winner of the Student Scholarship will be announced at the CPRS Vancouver Holiday Party on November 25, 2020.