Public Relations Student Society of America
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is a pre-professional organization that allows students to gain insight and skills related to the real world of public relations, while providing endless networking opportunities to real-world professionals.
Through programming, PRSSA capitalizes on preparing students for their careers post-graduation, targeting various fields within the industry, such as corporate, agency, non-profit, entertainment, fashion and sports PR. PRSSA provides students insight on relevant skill sets, including event planning, digital PR and social media, media relations, crisis management and more.
PRSSA Kent also provides valuable public relations experience for its members including planning events, writing for PRSSA communication channels including web and social media and enhancing leadership skills. Plus, PRSSA Kent member make lasting friendships.
EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES WITH PRSSA
- Award-Winning: PRSSA Kent consistently receives national recognition. Explore the School of Media and Journalism’s Awards and Accolades page to see the most recent honors.
- Guest Speakers: General meetings include the opportunity to hear from and interact with prominent guest speakers. Past speakers have included representatives from: Ben & Jerry’s, Disney, Oscars, Time’s Square, Michelle Obama's Let Girls Learn Initiative, MLB
- Attending PRSA International Conference (ICON): Each year, PRSSA Kent travels to the Public Relations Society of Americas International Conference (ICON). Here, members and faculty hear from professionals across the nation about current events, trends and topics in public relations. PRSSA will be traveling to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas for ICON 2022.
- National Bateman Case Study Competition: Every spring, faculty members choose PRSSA members to participate in the National Bateman Case Study competition. This provides students with experience designing a campaign for a real client and allows them to compete with Chapters across the nation. Kent State teams have placed among the top tier in the competition for nine out of the last 10 years.
- Betsy Plank Week: Each April, PRSSA Kent celebrates the "first lady of public relations,” Betsy Plank, with a week of events and community service initiatives.
- YouToo Digital Strategy Conference Each year, PRSSA Kent partners with Akron PRSA to host the YouToo Digital Strategy Conference. Sessions broadcast to attendees nationwide to discuss current events and best practices in the world digital communications.