As part of its mission to further public relations education and professional development, the Public Relations Foundation of Texas (PRFT) and TPRA jointly sponsor two student programs:
- Silver Spur Student Campaign Competition
- Silver Spur Intern Program
- James W. Hart, Jr. Intern of the Year
2009 Silver Spur Student Campaign Competition
THE CONTEST
The Texas Public Relations Association will sponsor a Silver Spur Student Campaign Competition as part of the Silver Spur/Best of Texas Awards. Teams of students are invited to enter a public relations campaign they created for a college "PR Campaigns Class" or other curriculum course during the Spring, Summer or Fall semesters.
Neither the number of students per team nor the number of team entries from a school is limited. There is a $25 fee for each entry.
A panel of public relations professionals will judge the entries concurrent with the judging of the Silver Spur/Best of Texas Awards (in January each year). A winning Silver Spur Student Campaign entry will clearly demonstrate understanding of the public relations planning process. A winning entry will also include a creative, yet realistic, approach to research, objectives, strategies, tactics, evaluation, timelines and budget. Certificates of Merit may be awarded to entries that judges believe deserve recognition but do not quite meet Silver Spur Student Campaign Award standards.
Award winners will be notified by fax or e-mail in time to make plans to attend the annual Silver Spur/Best of Texas Awards Banquet in Austin in 2010 where they will be recognized.
One Silver Spur Award Certificate (or a Certificate of Merit) per entry will be given to the winning team.
ENTRY RULES
1. Each entry must be submitted in a single, hardcover, three-ring viewbinder, not more than three inches thick. Judges will not consider the exterior of the binder in judging the entry. Entries not packaged in hardcover binders may be disqualified. One copy of the
Entry Form must be inserted in the clear front cover of the binder. Another copy of the Entry Form must be enclosed in the binder's inside front cover pocket.
2. Team name - Each team must create a Team Name to use in labeling the entry binder and all entry materials. Enter the Team Name on the proper line on the
Entry Form.
3. A typewritten summary - Double-spaced in 12-point type on 8 x 11 paper addressing each of the four judging criteria separately. (See "Judging Criteria" below.) Silver Spur Student Campaign summaries can be no longer than four (4) pages.
4. Support materials - Any materials you prepared to support the classroom presentation of your campaign should be included with your entry. Materials larger than the binder format must be folded or reduced to fit the binder. Reduced photocopies or photographs of materials produced are acceptable. If you enclose a videocassette, CD-ROM or floppy disk, be sure it is clearly labeled with the Team Name from your
Entry Form and your school name. Also be sure these kinds of materials are enclosed in a sealed envelope.
JUDGING CRITERIA
The public relations campaigns that students may enter can be either "real world" that resolves an actual public relations challenge, or it my be resolving a "hypothetical" public relations case. Please specify which type of campaign you are entering.
Judges will look for both creativity and realism in your team's approach to the four areas of public relations planning. You will summarize what your team proposed for each of the four areas in your typewritten summary. . Research (25 points): What did you propose be done for planning research, implementation research and evaluative research? Why did you believe these methods would be effective? Did you conduct any of this research? What were your results?
2. Planning (30 points): What are your goals and objectives? Objectives should be measurable. Who are your key audiences? What are your key messages?
3. Implementation (30 points): What are your strategies and tactics? You should summarize, but not detail, your timeline and budget in this section. Include a detailed timeline and any budget you prepared in your support materials.
4. Evaluation (15 points): How will your measure your campaign success?
JUDGES' CRITIQUES
Judges will prepare a brief written critique of each entry. These will be mailed after the Awards Banquet to the contact person listed on your
Entry Form.
ENTRY DEADLINE
Friday, February 5, 2010 (
received in the TPRA office by this date)
QUESTIONSKeith R. Schmidt, APR - Newfield Exploration - ( 281) 674-2650 or e-mail
kschmidt@newfield.com
MAIL/SHIP TO
TPRA Office - 823 Congress Ave., Ste. 230 - Austin, TX 78701
2009 Silver Spur Intern Program
Each spring, a call goes out to TPRA members asking for applications for a summer intern.
Based on the scholarship budget, the TPRA board determines the number of interns which will be placed, and the companies that will be their hosts. Internship companies are announced to TPRA academic members in early spring, and they communicate with their students.
Students interested in internship placements apply directly to the TPRA internship company of their choice. The companies notify students who have been selected.
In order for students to qualify for these internship opportunities, they must meet the following criteria upon completion of their internships:
- Be graduating in December 2009 or later;
- Have worked approximately three months or 120 hours (to be determined by the sponsoring organization);
- Have met expectations of employer and successfully completed tasks assigned;
- Have performed a variety of PR duties such as writing, editing, event planning, media relations, etc.).
TPRA provides each intern with a $1000 scholarship, and the opportunity to participate in the Intern of the Year program. If chosen as James W. Hart Intern of the Year they receive an additional $1500 scholarship. All interns attend the Annual Conference as the guests of TPRA, but must provide their own transportation.
2009 Intern Companies Selected
American Heart Association - www.heart.org
The American Heart Association is a long-standing, well-respected organization that provides invaluable opportunity and experience in marketing, communications and media relations, as well as connection to the community through development, advocacy and alliances.
An intern would have the opportunity to work on each of these cause campaigns and not be limited to just working with the marketing team, but also working with our Public Advocacy Directors on legislative issues; our Corporate Market Directors on building awareness that raises funds; our State Health Alliance Directors on working with agencies to further save lives through specific initiatives with our hospitals, stroke centers, etc., and our Cultural Health Directors on programs that are geared specifically to our targeted Hispanic and African American populations.
Interns will have the privilege to attend meetings, coordinate campaigns, work with the media; write press releases; create ROI books that will be given to our sponsors to highlight how their investment has reached the community; work with our volunteers; help plan and organize special events such as the Go Red For Women luncheons and casting calls; the Power to End Stroke Gospel Concerts featuring international recording artist Kirk Franklin; attend and help secure coverage of our stellar Heart Balls and Galas, and work on our largest fundraisers, the Start! Heart Walks. Perhaps the greatest benefit of interning with the American Heart Association is the sense of empowerment that we offer. Interns don’t leave here with just having faxed releases and filed away papers; they leave here with portfolios of useful work that will make them marketable candidates within the field of communications.
The internship will be available in any one of the AHA offices in the following cities: Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Bryant/College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Galveston/Bay Area, Houston, Longview, Lubbock, Midland, San Angelo, San Antonio, South Texas (Pharr), Tyler, Waco and Wichita Falls. We are able to offer placement in the summer or the fall.
Contact: Yvette Blair, 214-712-1321. Interested candidates should send their resumes to
yvette.blair@heart.org.
INTERN SELECTED: Britney Darnell - Senior @ University of North Texas
MM2 Public Relations - www.mm2pr.com
MM2 Public Relations delivers the thinking, scope and impact typically associated with a large agency, but with the responsiveness, cost efficiency and passion of a small agency partner. For brand marketers, the firm helps companies reach consumers by developing creative campaigns that communicate brand attributes and identity through traditional and emerging channels. For corporate and business-to-business clients, MM2 Public Relations develops message-based campaigns that help drive measurable business results. To learn more about MM2 Public Relations, please visit our web site at www.mm2pr.com.
We’ve developed a comprehensive internship program designed to give future communications stars a head start in their career. Our interns receive a hands-on learning experience, working as part of an account team and assisting with public relations campaigns, market and industry-related research, media outreach and thought leadership for a broad range of clients.
Experience the following as part of your experience: Writing and pitching assignments, research assignments, long-term case study, mentoring, staff-led presentations and project ownership.
MM2 Public Relations has a seasoned staff of communications professionals with experience across a wide range of industries, including travel and hospitality, consumer products, insurance and financial services, technology and healthcare.
The agency is led by Larry Meltzer and Robert Martin, formerly founding partners of Omnicom’s BlueCurrent Public Relations and senior partners with Fleishman-Hillard. Prior to joining Fleishman-Hillard, they were at the helm of Dallas-based Meltzer & Martin Public Relations, which grew to become the largest independent public relations agency based in Texas.
Contact: Larry Meltzer, 214-379-3700. Interested candidates should send their resumes to larry.meltzer@mm2pr.com.
INTERN SELECTED: Hannah Mathews - Texas Christian University
NuStar Energy L.P. - www.nustarenergy.com
(unpaid) NuStar Energy L.P., a publicly traded company based in San Antonio, is the No. 1 asphalt supplier on the U.S. East Coast and the No. 2 independent liquids terminal operator in the nation. The Corporate Communications internship includes a wide variety of tasks, including writing news releases, editing various materials, drafting stories for the company newsletter, designing graphic materials, planning and coordinating events, and much more. While the intern will be expected to help with some administrative duties (like everyone else on staff), he/she would certainly get a lot of great portfolio-building and confidence-boosting experience. The Corporate Communications group coordinates many of the company’s employee programs from its service award recognition and family day events, to its scholarship and volunteer of the year award programs. And, it leads all community relations programs, from overseeing the United Way campaign and the NuStar NuHope Golf Classic which raises money for the homeless, to the activities of the Volunteer Council.
Contact: Chris Cho, Lead Corporate Communications Specialist, 210-918-3953. Interested candidates should send their resume to:
chris.cho@nustarenergy.com.
INTERN SELECTED: Garrett Brown - University of Texas @ Austin
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James W. Hart, Jr. Intern of the Year Award
Each summer, TPRA places students in internships across the state. Each receives a $1000 scholarship from TPRA. These students then compete for the James W. Hart, Jr. Intern of the Year award, which offers an additional $1500 scholarship, and $1000 for the student's University.
James W. Hart and Intern Program Overview
A panel of professional judges scores the candidates based on the quality of work performed during their internship position, such as writing skills displayed; variety of skills applied; initiative, organizational skills, follow-through, attention to detail; leadership abilities; and the quality of the student's final report.
2009 Intern of the Year: Jamison Hoelscher (interned with Newfield Exploration Co.)
Previous Winners:
2008 - Rosary Mangano
2007 - Heather Keenan
2006 - Camden Gilman
2005 - Patrick Dyer
2004 - Adrienne Fleming
2003 - Jennifer Hoff
2002 - Shea Mayberry
2001 - Anne Hoar
2000 - Sylvia Mugica
1999 - Jennifer Wilhite
1998 - Karla Bradford
1997 - Kathleen Matthew Fisher
