As a professor, I am always looking at ways in which to help the future generation grow and expand their knowledge in the public relations and social media fields. This means really tying in the importance of not only research, theory, and applications of our work – but applying what we are learning to real situations. These experiences are not just options to have any more for young candidates on the job market. They are expected.
This is why – in all of my upper level courses – I try to have a project where students are able to walk away with a strong product they can use to showcase their experience, knowledge, and skill set for future employers.
I’ve done this for many years in my social media classes, but also in my PR graduate class in the fall semester. Each year has been a different client. First time we did this, we worked with the University of Louisville. Last year, we had the opportunity to work with The Breeders’ Cup. Both clients were fantastic to work with – each had their different set of goals in mind, and the students were able to brainstorm ideas for how to go forward with their plans.
Last year’s event was truly special and the students were able to walk away with an incredible real world experience. The results of this project were tremendous for the students with internship offers, job positions, and media / brand coverage like this post from Adobe.
Coming into the summer and looking towards the fall semester, I was thinking:
How do I top last year’s class? Is it possible?
This brings me back to my days as a competitive track and field athlete. I always wanted to improve each year and take things to the next level. This may not always happen, but it’s always good to have a goal in mind. This has translated to what I have been trying to do in my classes, and the answer to the question above is: YES. We will be able to top last year’s class.
You may be asking how – and I will tell you how we will be doing this.
Our class will be working with Facebook.
The team at Facebook I have been chatting with have been truly fantastic! I am excited, thrilled, and ready to go for the fall semester. My students are beyond excited – I am very grateful to the FB team for allowing us to have this opportunity.
Stay tuned for more in the future. Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
