NKPR launches scholarship program

NKPR has launched an annual scholarship program for undergraduate students aimed at supporting the next generation of public relations professionals.

The annual NKPR Scholarship will award two first-year students entering communications or public relations programs in Canada with $2,500 each.

“It’s exciting for me to have people that go into this industry that are really passionate about it,” says NKPR president Natasha Koifman. “We really want to be able to pull some of those talented people out and give them a little bit of help.”

The scholarship aims to award students who can apply their skills to current issues in public relations. Applicants are being asked to answer the question: “What do you see is the most important issue or trend affecting PR and why,” in the medium of their choice or in essay format, to a maximum of 1,000 words. Candidates will be selected based on creativity and strategic thinking.

“What I love about this industry is the strategic thinking behind it, so you really want to give the scholarship to people thinking about the trends that are happening and having the insight and foresight towards what’s next,” Koifman says.

The scholarship is part of the agency’s yearlong 26 Acts of Kindness program dedicated to spreading kindness and philanthropy. NKPR launched the program on March 20, International Happiness Day, and has since participated in acts of kindness that include a clothing drive for Fred Victor Women’s Shelter and a Toronto Transit Commission token drive for the Red Door Shelter.

NKPR is promoting the scholarship internally and through all the major schools. This year’s submission deadline is Oct. 17.