NEW YORK (Aug. 6, 2018) — The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) will challenge participants of the 2019 Bateman Case Study Competitionto develop, launch and promote a public relations campaign for the PRSA Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization,whose sole mission is to promote racial and ethnic diversity in the fields of public relations and communications (www.prsafoundation.org).

Participants in the Competition will be challenged to develop a campaign that focuses on diversity in the public relations field and promotes the book Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership. This book, produced by the PRSA Foundation in partnership with the Museum of Public Relations, features the oral histories of 35 diverse communications professionals.

“By embracing diversity, we as a Society can build stronger relationships with the professional community and enrich the public relations industry as a whole,”said PRSSA 2018–2019 National President Andrew Young. “I know participants of this Competition will use their skills and creativity to help increase diversity within our industry.”

The Foundation also provides financial support in the form of scholarships, grants and awards to the next generation of multicultural communications professionals who will diversify the workforce and truly mirror the population and customer base to be served.

“The PRSA Foundation is honored to be the cause of choice for the 2019 Bateman Case Study Competition,” said PRSA Foundation President Judith Harrison. “We are excited to see the skills and ideas of outstanding students of public relations and communications from PRSSA Chapters throughout the nation come to life in the service of diversity and inclusion in our profession. We anticipate Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadershipwill be a benchmark and popular work, fueled by the strategy put forth by the next Bateman Competition awardee.”

The Bateman Case Study Competition originated in 1973 as a national case study allowing PRSSA members to exercise the analytical skills required for public relations problem solving. In 1983, the name of the Competition was changed to honor the late J. Carroll Bateman, APR. Bateman was a past president of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and was instrumental in the founding of PRSSA.

For additional information and updates about the PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition, visit www.prssa.prsa.org/scholarships-and-competitions/bateman-competition/.

About the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)

The Public Relations Student Society of America (www.prssa.prsa.org) is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications. Founded in 1968 by its parent organization, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), PRSSA includes more than 10,000 student members and advisers, and is active at more than 340 colleges and universities.

About the PRSA Foundation

Headquartered in New York City, the PRSA Foundation was chartered under section 403 of the New York State Corporation Law as a not-for-profit organization. The PRSA Foundation supports programs that attract, assist and prepare young adults to enter the communications profession, and works with employers and industry organizations to create workplace-based inclusion efforts to welcome, support and retain a diverse workforce.

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