Chikmedia Announces Fourth Year of Chiks of the Future Scholarship

SPRINGFIELD — Chikmedia announced its fourth annual Chiks of the Future Scholarship. Thanks to the generosity of a number of local businesses, Chikmedia is now offering one $1,500 scholarship as part of the annual initiative.

Chikmedia, a boutique firm offering strategic marketing planning and creative PR, has partnered with local businesses such as Summerlin Floors and the Springfield Thunderbirds to make this initiative happen. This scholarship will be awarded to one deserving woman of color, either a high-school senior or college student, pursuing a degree in marketing, public relations, communications, or business.

In order to see individuals succeed, the community needs to help them grow from the beginning. In 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement, Chikmedia did a little digging into scholarship opportunities and found that Caucasian students received 72% of all scholarships, while minority students received only 28%. Although a $1,500 scholarship doesn’t close the large gap, the firm wanted to do its part in expanding available opportunities. The community involvement from local businesses has been welcomed with open arms.

Completed scholarship applications and all supporting materials must be submitted to Chikmedia by May 1. Scholarship recipients will be notified by email, and then announced publicly during the first week of August. Click here for the guidelines and application form.

“We continue to be grateful for the community business support we receive for this program,” said Meghan Rothschild, president of Chikmedia. “We started the scholarship to combat the racial injustices we saw in 2020 and plan to honor it every year. We cannot thank our partners enough; their generosity is humbling and overwhelming.”