A Guide for Your Next Chapter Success Story: Earning a Star Chapter Award
Applying for Chapter awards should never be an intimidating process. Since chartered in 2010, the Utah Valley University (UVU) PRSSA Chapter has developed a formula for Chapter success, which has led UVU PRSSA to earn three Star Chapter Awards for the last three years running.
This guide can help your Chapter earn its next — or first — Star Chapter Award.
1. Research
Encourage your executive board to review the requirements for the Star Chapter Award. Remember that no matter how old or how small your Chapter is, every Chapter can qualify by implementing at least eight out of 10 requirements.
Find out what these requirements are and how your Chapter has implemented them in the past. If all of your executive board members are new, you might consider reaching out to previous Chapter leaders, reviewing your Chapter C.H.A.R.T guide or visiting with your Faculty Adviser.
2. Plan to Achieve Your Goal (Earn Star Chapter Award)
As you plan your Chapter’s goals and activities, consider including the following recommendations:
- Strengthen your relationship with your PRSA sponsor Chapter.
- Use the PRSA/PRSSA Relationship Month to invite members of your PRSA sponsor Chapter to come speak to your Chapter. If distance is an issue, host a Twitter chat or a Google Hangout.
- Gain professional development and build a strong professional network by attending the monthly PRSA luncheons.
- Give attention to ethics in at least one Chapter meeting
- Whether this is done through a speaker presentation, setting up a booth inside your next Chapter meeting or creating a new slogan utilizing your school mascot, your goal is to conduct a Chapter activity that highlights the importance of striving for ethics in today’s world.
- Apply for scholarships and awards.
- PRSSA gives outstanding members and Chapters a unique opportunity to earn recognition and nearly $30,000 in educational funding through scholarships and awards. It’s never too soon to identify the scholarship(s) you might qualify for.
- Implement at least one national initiative.
- Write for PRSSA’s newspaper, FORUM, or PRSSA’s blog, Progressions, to build your resume and portfolio and diversify your writing skills by writing for these national publications.
- Get involved with this year’s PRSSA Community Service Initiative at National Conference as a way of giving back to the host community.
3. Execute, Evaluate and Apply
Whether you are attending this year’s National Conference or seeking to strengthen your relationship with your sponsor PRSA Chapter, always remember to have fun, be professional and ethical while you execute your plan.
The application requires your Chapter to provide specific details on how each of the requirements was achieved. Make sure your historian keeps accurate records of your Chapter’s work.
Which qualifications are you going to implement to become a Star Chapter next year?
Henry Cervera is a senior majoring in public relations at Utah Valley University and a former Chapter officer of UVU PRSSA. Upon graduation, he aspires to build a career in multicultural public relations. Follow him @henrymvd.
