Student Sponsorship Program

Members - Sponsor a student's professional development

Make a donation to allow a student to attend a professional development luncheon or other event at no cost.

IABC/Chicago is offering the nearly unprecedented opportunity for a limited number of Chicago-area IABC student members to attend our professional development luncheons and events at no cost thanks to our student sponsorship program.  By attending professional development events, students can learn from industry leaders and network with a broad array of communications professionals. 

Through the sponsorship program, three students attended IABC/Chicago’s half-day seminar “Internal Communications Audits: Techniques, Tools and Tips for the Strategic Communicator” in March.  Read about their reactions to the opportunity below.

For more information about the program or to learn about the next opportunity for a student sponsorship, contact Anne Divita, director of educational relations, at anne_divita@iabcchicago.com.

Student sponsorships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.  To be eligible to receive the sponsorship, individuals must currently be an IABC student member and be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate communications program at a Chicagoland university.  Students may also opt to register and pay to attend IABC/Chicago events, foregoing the sponsorship.  Visit http://www.iabcchicago.com/events to learn more about the chapter's professional development programs.  

The Value of Student Sponsorships
Leslie Cornett, student in DePaul University's corporate communications graduate program
Brandi Green, student in DePaul University's multicultural/corporation communicatio graduate program

Through its recently implemented student sponsorship program, IABC/Chicago has created the opportunity for students to enhance their professional skill sets.  The program is funded by professional communicators who are interested in giving back to the profession and helping students’ professional growth.  Sponsorships provide the funding for students to attend IABC/Chicago professional development programs at no cost to them. 

This program means a great deal to students, as it shows that IABC/Chicago is taking an active interest in students’ career development and is working to provide them with the necessary resources to increase their understanding of how the “real world” works.  The program also gives students the opportunity to become more involved with IABC.

On March 29, we attended a seminar taught by Lou Williams and Greg Gordon of L.C. Williams and Associates, where they discussed the procedure for conducting internal communications audits.  The seminar was complementary to our education, as we recently took a class that covered many of the concepts that were discussed.  Also, this exposure to the professional world was very beneficial to us as we explore career paths that are available in the communications field.  

The opportunities afforded by the sponsorships are not matched by any other organization – the program gives us the chance to interact with individuals who can give us great insight into the career world and help us sharpen our skills.