Looking for a great way to test your communication skills? Have you recently completed a communications project at school or work that you want to show off? Want to receive feedback from experienced communication professionals? This could be the right opportunity for you!
The IABC/BC Student Communicator of the Year (SCOY) is an award offered by IABC/BC exclusively to their student members to recognize excellence in communication. Not a member yet? Register now at http://iabc.bc.ca/membership/join-or-renew/.
2013 SCOY Application Process
Deadline for Application - EXTENDED to April 30, 2013
Click here to download the SCOY 2013 Call for Entries Guide
Who is eligible to apply? IABC/BC student or transitional members and new members who were either full-time students at a college, university or other educational institution, or part-time students working toward a degree, during the time the entry was created.
What are the requirements? - IABC/BC Student Membership, a 3-page work plan, work samples if necessary.
What is a work plan? - The work plan is a 3-page summary that describes the program or project, how it was developed and what you intended to achieve.
What kinds of work are appropriate for the SCOY application? - Entries should reflect work performed in a student, not professional, capacity. Entries created for coursework, a club or volunteer association, an internship/co-op term or other non-commercial activities are eligible for submission.
What work samples should be included? – The work sample should consist of the supporting materials for your project—for example, screen shots of the web site you designed or the brochure with which you aimed to build awareness. If your plan was not actually implemented, the work sample is optional. Whenever possible, the work sample should also include supporting information, such as survey results, press clippings or materials documenting your results.
Award Categories
There are five unique award categories to enter – each focusing on a different area of communication:
- Writing: A fundamental skill in communication, the writing category includes original material written for a particular communication project. Articles, news writing, news releases, speeches, scripts, editorial pieces, sales promotion and marketing, recurring feature articles, and technical writing are all examples of accepted entries.
- Electronic and Digital Communication: Is online and digital technology your thing? This category includes computer-based communication projects produced for internal or external audiences that primarily use electronic production and/or delivery tools. This category includes published content that audiences access predominantly online. Projects such as electronic newsletters, websites, blogs, electronic annual reports, and Intranets can be entered in this category.
- Publications: Created something using software such as Photoshop or InDesign? The publications category includes graphic design and writing for publications in all printed formats. Projects can include magazines, newsletters, newspapers, annual reports and special publications.
- Communications Creative:Communication creative includes elements that showcase creative talent and design through an essentially communicative function. Entrants must demonstrate innovation, creativity, strategic alignment and effective graphics communication. Examples of projects include:
- Design of an organizational brand identity or other graphic project where design is the primary communication function. Includes advertisements, cartoons, drawings, paintings, collages, posters, displays, special signs, book and magazine covers, logos, product labels and packaging, 3-D materials, illustrations.
- Photography, including original photographs created or commissioned for a particular communication project (i.e., single photos, photo essays, photo montages, etc.)
- Video/film to demonstrate innovative and fun use of communication channel.
- Communication Campaigns:Entries for communication campaigns should address background research, planning, goals and objectives, execution/implementation and evaluation/results (any documented results, or how you would measure results if the campaign were implemented). Examples of campaigns include:
- Internal programs
- External programs and campaigns
- Community relations
- Customer relations
- Media relations
- Marketing programs
- Other
What Are the Judges Looking For?
Your project will be judged by a panel of industry experts based on the criteria found here.
All applicants – whether you win or not – will receive their feedback from the judges. Some of British Columbia’s top communication professionals will tell you what they think of your work! Even if you don’t win, you’ll end up with an amazing piece for your portfolio.
2012 Winners
Award of Merit
Category: Publications
Ryan Paulson
Simon Fraser University
Transforming the Game Day Package
Award of Merit
Category: Electronic & Digital Communication
Patricia Zhou
Simon Fraser University
Communication Renovation
Award of Merit
Category: Electronic & Digital Communication
Anna Santiago
Douglas College
Glamorous Pieces
Award of Merit
Category: Communication Creative
Shawn Morris
Royal Roads University
Tse Tsa Watle Video
Some winning plans have focused on:
- promotion or awareness campaigns
- event planning
- product launches
- launching a new newsletter or program
- mounting staff fundraisers
- conducting internal surveys/focus groups
- developing a brand or rebranding an existing group/product
- planning & executing a social media awareness campaign
View work plans from previous winners
Contact Information
Need more info? Contact us at students@iabc.bc.ca.
