Upcoming Event:
Equitable Internships: Leveling the Playing Field for Future PR Pros
Thursday, April 8, 2021, 12pm-1pm
Free for Members and Students
$15 for Non-Members
STUDENTS: Please email info@prsamd.org for a student discount code prior to registering for the event (you will need the code to bypass payment).
Internships are an essential part of a career in public relations, but between classes, jobs, families, and financial obligations, many students have to move mountains in order to add an internship to their schedules.
Studies show that unpaid internships perpetuate racial and gender-based inequalities in the workplace. As employers, it is our responsibility to ensure that equal access is granted to students to obtain this essential experience.
This program will educate members about these barriers and present ways that companies can create internship programs that level the playing field.
Moderator: Kaletha Henry and Mary Miles
Panelists:
Seana Coulter, Director for the Center for Career Development at Morgan State University
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanacoulter/
Julie Gowin, Outreach Coordinator, for the University of Maryland Department of Communication internship program
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliegowin/
Charles Greene, CEO and Executive Director, Trusts for Children
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgreene/
Themes we will explore:
- The challenges that students face when trying to complete an internship, particularly students from minority backgrounds.
- The importance of equity in the office, from the interns to the C-suite.
- The responsibility that the business community and PR pros have in creating opportunities for future students.
Questions We Will Explore:
- In what ways can employers provide better opportunities to ensure students from various backgrounds are receiving a fair chance on their career path?
- Essentially, what should students be able to gain from a valuable internship?
- As a business-owner, what is the benefit of investing in your internship program and what is your approach for selecting who qualifies?
- What steps can companies and businesses take to eliminate bias from their internship process?
- In what ways may an employer consciously or unconsciously be profiling a student just by reviewing their resume?
- What are some of the ways that companies can evolve their internships to be more equitable?
- What feedback have you received from students who have had challenges securing internship opportunities?
- Can you identify some of the ways in which students may enhance their connections through networking and how they may find networking opportunities?
- What advice would you give yourself if you were a student today entering public relations and communications?
March 2021
Past Events:
Clubhouse 101
Thursday, March 18, 2021,11:00am-Noon
Free for Members and Students
$15 for Non-Members
There is a lot of buzz about this new app. Beyond its popularity, brands and agencies are already looking to see if there is an application for marketing, sales, and influencers. In this PRSA MD power hour, please join us as we all explore:
1. What is Clubhouse, and how does it work?
2. What should PR/COMMS people be doing right now to prepare for a possible widespread business case use?
3. Who in our PRSA MD chapter is already using Clubhouse for client and comms work? Share your ideas!
4. Where are the best rooms for PR/COMMS conversations for professional development and strategy idea generation.
March 2021
Past Events:
The Museum of Public Relations
Thursday, March 4, 2021, 5:30 to 6:45pm
$20 for Members
$30 for Non-Members
Did you know PRSA national was behind a film produced by Time-Life in 1947 that introduced PR to the world in theatres? Do you know about Inez Y. Kaiser, the first black woman to own a PR firm? There are hundreds of stories to be heard and thousand of artifacts and books to see at The Museum of Public Relations. Join us for a live virtual tour of this New York city-based non-profit institution which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of public relations practice for education and research that will help shape its future and inform the public of the practice’s social value. Our tour will be customized, so give us some ideas about what you want to see when you register. The tour will cover many topics, including women in PR in honor or Women’s History Month in March.