CPRS (Toronto) -- Counselors Academy

The Counselors Academy, PRSA, is the organization that provides principals of public relations firms with the tools and resources to grow their firms and the counseling skills of their people.

MEMBERSHIP

The Counselors Academy consists of nearly 1,000 professional public relations counselors worldwide. Academy members range from solo practitioners to senior executives of multinational public relations firms. Members must be accredited members of the Public Relations Society of America or the Canadian Public Relations Society, or meet an equivalency standard that includes 10 years in the public relations field.

PROGRAM OFFERINGS

Members of The Counselors Academy benefit from a variety of in-person, print and electronic professional development opportunities and powerful worldwide peer network. These include:

Annual Academy Leadership Conference, an unparalleled agency management training and networking opportunity
Fall session, a seminar and social event in conjunction with PRSA's International Conference
The Counselor, a bi-monthly newsletter
Counsel and other trend- and issues-related resources that compose the most comprehensive library of public relations counseling and firm management information in the world
Workbooks that build firm management and professional skills
Web site - at www.counselorsacademy.org, The Counselors Academy's online presence features both public and "members only" sections
Teleseminar Series - Interactive professional development programs for members and their staffs via teleconferencing
Special Interest Groups - In-person and e-mail networking among members who share similar specialties in the practice of public relations
The Red Book - A directory of Counselors Academy members, distributed free of charge to PRSA members and used by PRSA as a referral source to fill requests for public relations firm assistance.
PR QuickStart - An online training program, available to staff and members, providing an overview of PR fundamentals to those who join PR firms from other industries
Leadership Seminar - Training series for upper-level management of members' firms

HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS

The Counselors Academy was founded in 1961 as a section of the Public Relations Society of America. In 1998, to complement its focus on professional development and firm management, The Counselors Academy helped create the Council of Public Relations Firms, the trade association which seeks to expand the market for and understanding of professional public relations counseling. The Counselors Academy is governed by an eletced 15-member Executive Committee, and is based at PRSA headquarters in New York City.