December 1, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

Attention: Assignment Desk
MEDIA CONTACT
Barbara Sheffield APR, FCPRS
Executive Director
Communications + Public Relations Foundation 416-242-6146
foundation@prmediaconnection.com

 

2011 Ruth Hammond Scholarship Winner Announced

Toronto – Margaret MacDonald, Halifax is the 2011 winner of the Ruth Hammond Scholarship, awarded annually to a public relations student in his/her final year of the Bachelor of Public Relations program at Mount Saint Vincent University (The Mount), Halifax. MacDonald has also been the recipient of the President’s Scholarship over her four years of study.

With an interest in community engagement, MacDonald is currently Marketing Committee Chair, Heartwood Centre for Community Youth Development and Co-Communications, Halifax, and Promotions Co-Ordinator for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure in Halifax.

MacDonald's first public relations internship was with Downtown Halifax Business Commission. In her second placement she served as a Communications Intern for Laura Balance Media Group Inc., Vancouver, where she worked as a member of the operations staff at the BC International Media Centre during the 2010 Winter Olympics. In her current internship, she is Internal Communications Co-Ordinator with the Department of National Defence, Halifax, where she is acting as newsletter editor, developing and writing stories as well as contributing to design creative. She is also assisting in the planning and execution of fundraising activity.

"Margaret is a hard working and dedicated professional; her creative ideas and passion for the industry make her an asset to our team", said Steven Andrews, Personnel Programs Manager, Maritime Forces Atlantic, Department of National Defence. "She has made a significant contribution to our communications work."

In addition to academic and professional work, MacDonald has been a member of the Students in Free Enterprise Group at The Mount, volunteered with Easter Seals Nova Scotia, Halifax Comedy Fest, Halifax International Busker Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival.

Recognized for its academic excellence and creative learning approaches, The Mount offers bachelor’s degrees in arts and science, education and professional studies in addition to a number of graduate degrees and a variety of certificates and diplomas. The university community includes 4,000 women and men from across Canada, as well as students from more than 60 countries, who study on campus or through distance learning programs.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship was established by Ms. Hammond's friends and colleagues in the Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) to honour her lifetime commitment to public relations education in Canada. The Scholarship, awarded by Mount Saint Vincent University, acknowledges a student who has completed at least two public relations co-op work terms and who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership abilities and dedication to establishing a career in the public relations field.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship funds are managed by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, foundation@prmediaconnection.com.

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September 12, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

Attention: Assignment Desk
MEDIA CONTACT
Barbara Sheffield APR, FCPRS
Executive Director
Communications + Public Relations Foundation 416-242-6146
foundation@prmediaconnection.com

 

2011 Torchia Scholarship Winner Announced

Toronto – Melodie Hamel Trepanier, Danville, Quebec, is the winner of the fifth annual Torchia Scholarship in Public Relations/ Communications, awarded by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The $1,500 annual Scholarship was establishedto recognize a student who best exemplifies the spirit and practice of bilingualism in the Canadian communications and public relations profession.

A student at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Hamel Trepanier is entering the second year of the Bachelor of Public Relations program. She holds a diploma in business management from CEGEP de Sherbrooke and is fluent in English and French.

"The jury is proud to award the Torchia Scholarship to Melodie," said jury chair Antoine Landry. "She has demonstrated a significant commitment to the profession, a passion for public relations study and a strong belief in Canada’s biculturalism."

In 2010, Hamel Trepanier served a three month co-op internship in France, with Novotel's Chateau de Maffliers (Paris) where she learned how to handle key issues related to hotel management. She has also completed an internship with SR Forêts, Danville, Quebec, a real estate company, where she learned all aspects of company management.

She is currently participating in an exchange program with Södertörn University College, Stockholm, Sweden, a university known for its emphasis on diversity, interdisciplinary exposure and critical thinking.

"Public relations practice today has an increasingly international focus. Hamel Trepanier will be well prepared to take on the challenges of globalization with her commitment to a multi-cultural and internationally focused education", said Dr. Amy Thurlow, Assistant Professor, Public Relations, Mount Saint Vincent University.

The Torchia Scholarship is awarded to a communications student who has chosen to study public relations/communications in one of Canada’s two official languages that is not his/her first language or mother tongue, and who is entering the second year of study in a Canadian university degree program or multi-year certificate or diploma program that meets recognized standards of education.

"Speaking multiple languages enriches students, gives them a competitive edge and a greater appreciation for other cultures and ways of thinking, which often leads to exciting career opportunities," said Jean-Claude Torchia, President and CEO of Torchia Communications. "Torchia Communications is very proud to support this Scholarship and what it stands for. We extend our congratulations to Melodie as she embarks on what promises to be a outstanding career."

The Torchia Scholarship monies are managed by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, foundation@prmediaconnection.com.

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September 7, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

Attention: Assignment Desk
MEDIA CONTACT
Barbara Sheffield APR, FCPRS
Executive Director
Communications + Public Relations Foundation 416-242-6146
foundation@prmediaconnection.com

 

Calgary Legacy Scholarship launched by CPRS Calgary and
Communications + Public Relations Foundation

Toronto – Canadian Public Relations Society, Calgary chapter and the Communications + Public Relations Foundation have signed an agreement to partner in the establishment of the $1,000 Calgary Legacy Scholarship to be awarded annually to a student studying public relations/communications in a recognized program at one of Mount Royal University, University of Calgary, or SAIT Polytechnic.

Eligible students from those educational institutes will have completed year one of their studies and be entering second year, demonstrated overall understanding of public relations and communications, its theoretical and practical elements, values and principles. They must hold a student membership in CPRS Calgary.

The first submission deadline for application is February 29, 2012, with a winner determined by a jury of senior public relations professionals in March and announced in April.

Students will be required to submit a curriculum vitae, an application form, letter from their education institute that attests to eligibility and a two-page written submission on a specified topic. Application forms and detailed information is available from the Communications + Public Relations Foundation, by contacting foundation@prmediaconnection.com. The Foundation will manage the Scholarship including the annual competition and establishment of a scholarship jury.

About CPRS
The Canadian Public Relations Society is a national public relations membership organization with 16 member societies based in major cities or organized province-wide. It establishes and encourages high levels of professional standards, ethics and studies in the field of public relations.

About the Communications + Public Relations Foundation
The Communications + Public Relations Foundation is a pan-Canadian organization that unites business, government, academic leaders and public relations practitioners in the advancement of public relations education through scholarships, awards, lectures and funding of research initiatives that promote ethical practice and professionalism in public communications.

During the past two years, The Foundation has made original public relations/communications research grants to two Calgarians— Jeremy Berry, MA, AMRC, APR, assistant professor at Mount Royal University, Calgary, to support his research: An Assessment of Perceived Writing Skills of Entry-Level Public Relations Practitioners in Canada, in co-operation with the Michigan State University; and to public relations practitioner, Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, APR, ABC, FCPRS, a graduate student at McMaster University, Hamilton related to her research focussed on Executive Perspectives on Communication Leadership Competencies and Credentials.

The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide. All donors receive an income tax receipt for their gifts.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, foundation@prmediaconnection.com.

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