 Public Relations senior Emily Bird outlined her group's recommendations. |
SUNY Fredonia’s Community Partners Program today announced that Campus and Community Children’s Center and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Chautauqua County, Inc. have been selected to gain assistance from public relations seniors as part of their capstone course in Public Relations Management this spring.
“We all take a lot of pride in this program. The students are as excited to get to work as the organizations are to have the assistance,” says SUNY Fredonia President Dennis Hefner. “It really is a win-win. The students get real life experience working with clients and these non-profits gain much needed public relations assistance.”
Both organizations selected this year serve Chautauqua County’s children, but in very different ways. CASA of Chautauqua County, Inc. has been operating in the area for nearly seven years. Serving as volunteer advocates for abused and/or neglected children, they strive to give children in need a voice as well as a stable and supportive relationship. Its goal is to help children work through issues and reunite with their families whenever possible. The Campus and Community Children’s Center works to provide before and after school programs, summer camp, as well as early care and education services to students with children, working families and community members. This highly accredited organization has been in operation at SUNY Fredonia since 1974.
The Community Partners Program, celebrating its 11th year this spring, provides students with the opportunity to work through real issues and challenges faced by public relations practitioners. Students take the knowledge they have gained at SUNY Fredonia and put it in action. They work in groups that take on identities of public relations “firms” and create strategic public relations campaigns to help local nonprofits in need. At the end of the semester, they will present their work directly to the organizations for implementation.
For more information on the Community Partners Program, contact Ann Carden, associate professor of communication, at 716-673-3822 or ann.carden@fredonia.edu.
SUNY Fredonia is a comprehensive, public, liberal arts college in Western New York that offers undergraduate and master’s programs. Founded in 1826, it is among the oldest schools in the SUNY system.
