Fellowship Applications Are Open Through Feb. 17, 2026
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Mission North announced today new agency partners and funding for Foster the Future, a collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and PRSA Foundation to expand early-career opportunities in public relations for BIPOC students through fellowships, scholarships, and professional development. By offering students this financial and career support, Foster the Future is building a more diverse and equitable public relations industry.
Now in its fifth year, the 2026 initiative has a larger pool of fellowship award funds than in previous years, including four new agency partners and three new professional development partners. Collectively, participating agencies have committed $99,000 in fellowship awards for 2026. Since the initiative’s launch in 2022, agencies have awarded more than $340,000 in fellowships.
The 12 participating agencies offer fellows a mix of scholarships, stipends, and paid internships to give students real-world work experience and meaningful financial support to kick-start their careers. Additionally, for the first time, the program will provide all students with professional development opportunities. Natan Edelsburg, chief partnership officer at Muck Rack and 2026 PRSA Foundation president, Mark Strong, founder and CEO of Strong Professional, and Brian Gabay, CEO of Brian Simon Associates, will provide training for all fellows to accelerate their careers.
“Diverse perspectives drive sharper, more effective storytelling, and better outcomes for clients,” said Tyler Perry, co-CEO of Mission North. “Foster the Future is grounded in that simple, powerful belief. This year, we’re expanding the program’s investment, partnerships, and professional development opportunities to give more students a clear pathway to the communications industry and help employers connect with emerging talent that reflects the audiences they serve. The future of our industry depends on the voices shaping it.”
Eligible students may apply now through February 17, 2026. Application requirements and links are available on the Foster the Future Website. The 2026 awards include:
– Mission North Fellowship: $32,000 scholarship, $6,000 stipend, 12-week internship in New York City or San Francisco, CA
– AGEAN Public Relations Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, five-week remote internship
– LaunchSquad Fellowship: $15,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, eight-week remote internship
– Greenough Communications Fellowship: $3,500 scholarship, eight-week internship in Boston, MA
– V2 Communications Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, eight-week internship in Boston, MA
– The Key PR Fellowship: $10,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, eight-week internship in San Francisco, CA
– Kite Hill Fellowship: $1,500 scholarship, three-month internship in the New York City or Miami area
– Hirsch Leatherwood Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, eight-week internship in New York City
– EvolveMKD Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, three-month internship in New York City
– Solcomms Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 13-week internship in New York City
– Hannah Cranston Media Fellowship: $3,000 scholarship, 12-week internship in New York City
– Scout Lab Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, three-month internship in New York City or remote
About the PRSA Foundation
The PRSA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to promoting diversity among public relations professionals and companies so they can serve the public good and meet the needs of a diverse world. The Foundation supports programs that attract, assist and prepare young adults to enter the public relations profession, and works with employers and industry organizations to create workplace-based inclusion efforts that welcome and retain a diverse workforce. Headquartered in New York City, it was chartered under section 403 of the New York State Corporation Law as a not-for-profit organization. www.prsafoundation.org
About Mission North
Awarded Fast Company’s Most Innovative in 2024 and PRovoke’s 2024 Technology Agency of the Year, Mission North is a strategic communications agency that helps technology and life sciences companies accelerate their market impact at every growth stage. The agency is headquartered in New York and San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., and Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.missionnorth.com.
About AGEAN
AGEAN specializes in brand-building PR. It was founded in 2020 by award-winning PR industry leader Alyssa Garnick, who saw a need for big brands to secure high-quality project work for high-stakes assignments and to access agency-caliber brand PR work at a lower cost. AGEAN does brand-building PR for consumer brands, products and companies and they work across all categories from health to tech, retail to real estate, travel and food. AGEAN marries creativity with strategy at all times and uses an earned-media lens to create PR campaigns for brands that drive positive reputation by generating press coverage, conversation and commerce. Their press announcements, product launches and campaigns are award-winning, and they are based in New York and have team members across the U.S. www.ageanpr.com
About LaunchSquad
LaunchSquad is an independent public relations, story development and creative agency. Our team is curious, diverse, kind and relentless. We partner seamlessly with change-the-world companies—crafting and executing integrated, strategic communications programs that achieve measurable business results. We are a people-first company committed to making sure everyone has a great experience and an equal opportunity to grow and succeed. www.launchsquad.com
About Greenough Communications
Greenough Communications provides brand marketing and communications for the moments that matter and specializes in creating the moments in between. Named a Top Agency by PR Daily, we hire purposefully and have assembled a team of strategic thinkers with integrated capabilities and unmatched industry experience across industries, including technology, healthcare, business services, and the climate transition. To learn more about our services, visit www.greenoughagency.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
About V2 Communications
V2 Communications is an integrated communications firm serving B2B, climate, and healthcare companies, from startups to publicly traded companies. V2’s clients strive to be iconic technology brands with an outsized impact on business, the planet, and humanity through their innovations. V2 designs and executes integrated communications strategies across earned, owned, and paid channels that shape their markets and make them market leaders. V2’s proven process ensures clients benefit from thorough program planning, increased speed, flexibility, and efficiency of program execution, and ongoing strategic counsel to maximize market shifts and refine programs to deliver consistent high levels of business success. https://www.v2comms.com
About The Key PR
The Key has launched dozens of startups, built brands, and created multi-dimensional communications programs for a wide range of companies. Our mission is to empower people and companies to unlock their best through high-impact, low-b.s. communications. At the heart of our programs are sharp strategy, story development, thoughtful media outreach, and real consultation. With a strong focus on early-stage tech, we also dabble in consumer, nonprofit, and social impact work, along with PR strategy and support for many well-established companies. https://www.thekeypr.com
About Kite Hill
Kite Hill is an award-winning integrated communications agency dedicated to helping B2B and tech businesses achieve growth, build brand reputation, and engage key audiences. We partner with innovative brands, from startups and scaleups to Fortune 500 companies, to deliver effective messaging. Our services span brand strategy, meaningful content creation, media relations, events, digital experiences, personal branding, strategic paid media, and specialized B2B influencer support. https://kitehillpr.com
About Hirsch Leatherwood
Hirsch Leatherwood is a strategic communications firm and content studio. Founded in 2021, Hirsch Leatherwood partners with large enterprises, private equity firms, and leading VC-backed startups to deliver integrated strategy across brand positioning, corporate storytelling, and executive visibility. The firm, based in New York, has been recognized as PR Week’s Outstanding Boutique Agency, Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, and The Observer’s PR Power List. https://hirschleatherwood.com
About EvolveMKD
EvolveMKD is a public relations and digital marketing agency that was founded in 2014 by Megan Driscoll. Our industry network is “R.E.A.L.” – relationship-based, engaged, authentic, and comprised of industry leaders. We tap into this network to radically commercialize the PR process, connect the physician customer to the consumer, and work silo-free both internally and externally. We specialize in public relations, digital marketing, social media, creative asset development and KOL, celebrity & influencer relations. We are 100% female owned and founded. Our leadership team has more than 50 years of collective industry and agency experience. https://www.evolvemkd.com
About Solcomms
SolComms is an award-winning integrated communications agency for startups and scale-ups at the intersection of corporate and consumer. Based in New York, NY, the agency launched in 2023 and takes a human-first approach in everything they do, prioritizing empathy, mentorship, and fierce collaboration. Their approach had led them to become the agency of record for cutting-edge companies across healthcare, consumer, and technology verticals, including Atropos Health, Suki, Baked by Melissa, Bogg, Naturepedic, Teal Health, Dutch, and Wisp, among others, while catapulting these companies and their executives into relevancy. Visit https://www.solcomms.co/ or SolComms’ Instagram and LinkedIn for more information.
About Hannah Cranston Media
Hannah Cranston Media (HCM) is the PR agency for changemakers, specializing in impact-driven brands that champion health and wellness, AI solutions, and equity-driven innovation. The New York and Los Angeles-based agency partners with pioneers to drive conversations that shape cultural and societal discourse. By amplifying clients’ stories and innovations, the agency helps create real-world access to solutions that impact millions. Leading the charge toward a new era in PR, HCM crafts campaigns that fuel societal progress, redefine industries, and shift public consciousness. For more information, visit www.hannahcranstonmedia.com or email hello@hannahcranstonmedia.com.
About Scout Lab
Scout Lab is an award-winning creative communications agency specializing in branding, communications and integrated campaigns. They are category experts in human and planetary health, working with global NGOs to companies in hyper growth. The agency helps brands define their story, and then share it with the world. Think of them as brand therapists for your company’s identity crisis. https://www.scoutlab.com
About Muck Rack
Muck Rack is the AI communications platform where trusted data, human expertise, and embedded intelligence come together to drive clarity, speed and impact. We combine global media monitoring, LLM visibility insights, social listening, trusted media data, AI automation, and analyst advisory to help organizations understand the narrative, manage reputation, act quickly, and prove their impact. Our unified platform supports every stage of the PR workflow — from discovery to targeting to reporting — all powered by one intelligence engine. Thousands of journalists also use Muck Rack’s free tools to showcase their portfolios, analyze news, and measure the impact of their stories. Learn more at https://www.muckrack.com.
About Strong Professional
Strong Professional is a modern talent development partner built for today’s workplace. With deep expertise in the agency and creative industries, we support the full employee experience from 1:1 executive coaching and cohort-based training to offsite facilitation, assessments, and custom learning experiences. Whether we’re helping clarify team dynamics, upskill managers, or shape leadership strategy, our work blends strategic insight with real-world application. We understand the culture and complexity of agency life and design practical, high-impact solutions that meet people where they are and move them meaningfully forward. https://strongprofessional.com
About Brian Simon Associates
Brian Simon Associates (BSA) is a leading specialized recruitment firm connecting top talent across Public Relations, Marketing, Digital, and Communications. Founded in 2016 by Brian Gabay, BSA partners with top agencies and brands nationwide to help them build exceptional teams. Known for its transparent process, long-term relationships, and deep industry expertise, BSA bridges the gap between ambitious professionals and the companies leading the way in PR and marketing. http://www.briansimonassoc.com
Ilana Hernandez
Mission North, Inc.
+1 347-410-7983
email us here
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