The Arthur W. Page Society announced today, "Pathways to Diversity," a new scholarship program dedicated to increasing awareness of public relations and communications as a career choice among ethnic minority college students. The program is designed to foster diversity within the field of public relations and corporate communications, create new educational and career opportunities and open doors for students of every background and origin.

The Page Society will contribute a total of $20,000 and the funds will be distributed through two community-based organizations. Four scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded to minority students in partnership with INROADS, an organization that works with Fortune 500 companies to provide leadership development and professional training of outstanding ethnically diverse students. The Lagrant Foundation (TLF), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of public relations, marketing and advertising, will award two $5,000 scholarships. Eligible recipients will be juniors or seniors in journalism, public relations or communications. They will exhibit exemplary leadership skills, maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average and possess strong written and verbal skills. As part of the criteria, students will be required to write an essay on the importance and relevance of the Page Principles.

"The long-term success of our profession calls for a truly diverse body of talent—of all backgrounds and ethnicities—who can bring fresh ideas, perspectives and views to global business and communications challenges," said Debra Sanchez Fair, representing the Page Society's Diversity Committee. "Our goal is not only to embrace the concept of diversity but to support it with actions—such as this scholarship program—that actually facilitate the growth of a more integrated association of professional practitioners.

"Our efforts toward fostering diversity are in keeping with the principles of business conduct that Arthur W. Page left as his legacy," said Page Society President and Ketchum Chairman David Drobis. "As leaders and mentors, we want to ensure that the field of public relations and corporate communications reflects the diverse constituencies we serve and is a career option that is open and available to every student of every color and background."

"The development of these scholarship awards is an excellent way to establish a relationship between INROADS and the Arthur W. Page Society," stated Thomas Powell, Vice President/Northeast Territory of INROADS. " Not only will this project assist us with intern retention, the mutual exposure to our organizations could lead to an increase of internship opportunities in communications and public relations: a definite win-win."

"This partnership is truly a step in the right direction," said Founder/President, Kim L. Hunter, of TLF. "On behalf of the board of directors of TLF, we are excited about our partnership with the Arthur W. Page Society."

As the program develops, the Page Society will partner with other organizations in an effort to create more scholarship opportunities.

Details about applying for the scholarship program will be released soon.

INROADS, Inc. is a national/international 501(c) 3 career development organization. Its mission is to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership.

The Lagrant Foundation is a 501(c) 3 organization whose mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the field of communications by providing scholarships, career development, enrichment and internship programs, mentors and professional development training to qualified ethnic minority students.

About the Arthur W. Page Society

The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association composed primarily of the chief communications officers (CCOs) of the world's top multinational corporations, and the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies. The organization's members also include academics from the leading business and communications schools.

The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief communications officers. The Page Society is upheld by management concepts, known as the Page Principles, which have been tested for more than half a century and have earned the support and respect of chief executive officers throughout the country. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Arthur W. Page Society.