L.E.A.P. Checklist
To gain the certification you must earn 60 points total. You must complete a minimum of 10 points in each category, for a total of 50. The final 10 points comes from your interview with an Advisory Board member.
Once you have completed 50 points, email Dr. Groover (mgroover@georgiasouthern.edu) who will help set up the interview.
If you have an item you believe fits into one of these categories, but it is not listed, contact Dr. Groover who will bring it before the committee.
Leadership and Teamwork and Relationship Building
| Workshops (1 point) | |
| Include the name of the workshop and when it was held. In a minimum of 100 words also describe what you learned from the workshop. | |
| Leadership Workshop (Communication Arts Department Approved – ask Dr. Groover before adding to your blog) | |
| Leadership Expo or Similar Event | |
| Team Building Exercise | |
| Facilitator Training | |
| SOLD series workshops (Prior approval is required as it will depend on its content – ask Dr. Groover before adding to your blog). | |
| Self-Assessment Tests (1 point) | |
| Include the date the assessment was taken: | |
| Myers Briggs Test | |
| Leadership Skills Test (e.g., Acumen) | |
| Campbell Inventory Test | |
| Leader Service (3 points) | |
| List the role you held, how long you held it, and what you gained from the experience: | |
| Peer Leader ( FYE 1210) | |
| Career Center Ambassador | |
| Southern Ambassador | |
| SOAR Leader | |
| Lead a Workshop | |
| Communication Arts Peer Advisor | |
| Presentations (1 point when required in a course) (3 points when completed outside of course requirements) | |
| Include the name of the presentation, when it was held, and for what organization or course you gave the presentation. These presentations can be either: | |
| Team presentation | |
| Individual | |
| Readings (1 point, maximum of 6 points) | |
| In a minimum of 200 words (for each book), discuss which book(s) you read, providing a brief summary, and what lessons you can take from it. | |
| “Thank You for Smoking” by Christopher Buckley | |
| “Airframe” by Michael Crichton | |
| “The Distracted Mind” by Adam Gazzaley | |
| “Distracted” by Maggie Jackson | |
| “Building a Story Brand ” by Donald Miller | |
| “Pitch Perfect” by Bill McGowan | |
| “Pandora’s Clock” by John Nance | |
| “Little Green Men” by Christopher Buckley | |
| Note: Continue to check the Web site as new books may be added | |
| Networking (1 point) | |
| Maintaining and Updating a Linked In (or similar professional networking site) page for a minimum of 6 months (This can be done as a part of a Course, but not an account maintained for this L.E.A.P. Certification) | |
| For attendance at any of the following: Job Fairs, Conferences, PR Advisory Board Meetings and Events, Comm Arts INC, PRSSA Meetings Hosting a Guest Speaker, and PRSSA Networking Events (including Resume’ Writing Workshops and Portfolio Workshops) | |
| National PRSSA Networking Events | |
| PRSA Georgia Networking Events (such as PRSA Georgia annual conference) | |
| Volunteer Experience (1 point earned per three hours of work) | |
| Leadership | |
| List the role you held, how long you held it, and in a minimum of 100 words what you gained from the experience: | |
| Serving as a leader in a professional association. Include the name of the organization and the position held (3 points) | |
| Serving in a PR leader role for another organization (e.g. alumni relations, membership recruitment, promotions, fundraising). Include the name of the organization and the position held (2 points) | |
| Actively serving as a executive board member for the Georgia Southern PRSSA Chapter | |
| Actively serving in a leadership role with PRestige | |
Experience in Communication
(to include written, oral, visual, intercultural contexts within an ethical frame)
| Workshops (1 point) | |
| Writing, editing, plagiarism corrections, etc. Include the name of the workshop and when it was held. | |
| Publications | |
| Provide a link to a PDF copy of the work on your blog | |
| Include the name of the publication or site, and date it was published. | |
| Feature/Magazine Articles (3 points) | |
| News Stories (2 points) | |
| Articles for Departmental Newsletter, Catchwords (2 points) | |
| Article for PRSSA blog (2 points) | |
| Maintaining a Blog for 6 months with weekly updates (2 points) | |
| Writing Web site Content (2 points) | |
| Event Management (3 points) | |
| Plan (or significantly aid in the planning of) an Event to help reach communication goals for a specific client (To earn full credit, full details must be recorded regarding the goal of the event, its objectives, and the evaluation of the event’s success in this area) | |
| Digital/Social Media | |
| Online portfolio (3 points) | |
| Editor | |
| Reflector (3 points) | |
| George-Anne (3 points) | |
| Inkwell (3 points) | |
| DJ | |
| WVGS (3 points) | |
| Other Radio Stations (2 points) | |
Academics – Creative & Critical Thinking
| Publication/Presentation (3 points) | |
| Include the name of the conference where you presented, date of the presentation, and the title of your presentation. | |
| Present a conference paper at: | |
| Undergraduate Honors Conference, | |
| Southern States Communication Association (SSCA), | |
| Phi Kappa Phi Symposium, | |
| Center for Undergraduate Research and Intellectual Opportunities (CURIO), | |
| Georgia Communication Association (GCA), | |
| Poster Papers @ Wildgame Supper | |
| Photography (1 point) | |
| This would include photos you have taken for a client or class project. Must include the details surrounding the photos including for whom they were taken and/or used. | |
| Speeches (3 points) | |
| These must be outside of required class speeches. | |
| Contest Entries (1 point for entry, 2 additional points for winning entry. Maximum points – 6 in this category) | |
| Logo, theme, any from the publication/presentation category above | |
| PR Advisory Board Awards | |
| Communication Arts Departmental Scholarship Awards | |
| Workshops (1 point) | |
| Include the name of the workshop and when it was held. In a minimum of 100 words also describe what you learned from the workshop. | |
| Creative Thinking / Writing | |
| Critical Thinking | |
| Brainstorming | |
| Web Design | |
| Design – InDesign, Photoshop, Canva, Quark, etc. | |
| Honor Society / International Studies (2 points with a maximum of 5 points in this category) | |
| Group / Club Membership | |
| Study Abroad Program (with a minimum of 3 weeks spent studying abroad). Include the location of the program, length of time spent, and classes completed. Describe what you learned from this experience. (3 points) | |
Professionalism and Career Development
| Career Center (1 point) | |
| Mock Interviews | |
| Relevant Workshops (resumes, etiquette, dress, etc.) | |
| Career Development Testing | |
| Having your resume reviewed by a member of the Office of Career & Professional Development | |
| Professional Associations (5 points with demonstrated active membership) | |
| PRSSA | |
| PRestige | |
| Society for Professional Journalists | |
| Marketing Society | |
| Webinars on professional/career development (3 points, maximum of 6 points) | |
| Include the name of the webinar, when it was held, and in a minimum of 100 words also describe what you learned from the webinar. | |
| Workshops (1 point) | |
| Include the name of the workshop and when it was held. In a minimum of 100 words also describe what you learned from the workshop. | |
| Ethics | |
| Time Management | |
| Relevant Volunteering for Events (1 point) | |
| CLEC (hosting) | |
| Department of Communication Arts or another department on campus | |
| College of Arts & Humanities | |
| Attending PR-related Events/Meetings (1 point each) | |
| Include the date and location in your listing. | |
| PR Advisory Board Events/Meetings | |
| PRSA Luncheons | |
| Shadowing Experiences | |
| Include the name and location of the experience. Describe your experience in a minimum of 200 words. The length of your shadow opportunity will determine how many points are earned. | |
| 8 hours (1 point) | |
| 16 hours (2 points) | |
| 32 hours (3 points) | |
| 40 hours (4 points) | |
| Public Relations Internships Completed | |
| Include the name and location of the experience, as well as the work completed at the site. | |
| Not earning academic credit and lasting a minimum of four weeks (5 points) | |
| A for-credit internship where you completed a minimum of 200 hours of work (4 points) | |
| Portfolio Review by a PR Professional (1 point) | |
| Business Skills Development (1 point) | |
| Demonstrated work in budgeting, creating annual reports, etc. | |
| Certification (10 points) | |
| Certificate in Principles of Public Relations | |
Last updated: 10/23/2023
