PenSPRA Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association

Each year, the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association (PenSPRA) presents a student from each of its two regions with a $1,000 scholarship. PenSPRA, founded in 1967, is one of the largest state chapters of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) and is the recipient of more than eight Blue Ribbon Awards. PenSPRA is divided into two regions, East and West, and has more than 150 active members across the state. PenSPRA is governed by an Executive Board. The organization has several purposes: to support student achievement through responsible school and community relations, to foster the continual development of its members, and to strengthen the leadership role of the school public communications professional.

Description

The award consists of two (2) one-year scholarships worth $1,000 each. Scholarships will be awarded to one public school student from each of PenSPRA’s two regions.

Criteria

A scholarship will be awarded to two (2) qualified Pennsylvania public high school seniors who plan to pursue a career in a communications field (i.e., journalism, English, public relations, advertising, graphic arts, etc.). The candidates should have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA and already been accepted at or applied to a two- or four-year college, vocational-technical school, or other institution of higher learning.

Procedure

Completed applications for the scholarship must be submitted by Friday, April 11, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The recipients will be announced in early May 2025.

Manner of Selection

1. Each application must be accompanied by: a transcript that includes the student's GPA, two recommendations from teachers, administrators, coaches, sponsors, or community members and a 250-500 word essay explaining why he/she has chosen to pursue a career in the communications field.
2. The awardees will be chosen by a committee consisting of three or four PenSPRA members whose school districts have no applicants for the scholarships.
3. If there are no applicants or qualified candidates in any given year, the Selection Committee shall not award the scholarship that year.
4. A check in the amount of the scholarship will be mailed to each recipient’s college, university, or institution of higher learning.

Please note: incomplete applications or packets received after the deadline will not be considered.