Nonprofits work with SRU students to increase awareness, capabilities
SLIPPERY ROCK — A collaboration between young and old, and all ages in between, will benefit both the university students who provided services and the three organizations that benefited from them.
Doug Strahler, associate professor of strategic communications and media at Slippery Rock University, explained the 16 upper class students in his Media Project Management class were split into three groups to work with two nonprofits and a municipal government.
The juniors and seniors worked with the university’s Institute for Learning in Retirement, Harrisville borough, and Legacy Wrestling and Fitness of Butler.
“The students get an opportunity to learn more about the organizations and community,” Strahler said. “It’s a great approach to civic engagement.”
Strahler said the six students who worked with the institute created a new logo and promotional materials for it and updated the institute’s website.
Tom Call and Margaret DeLuca, institute board members, said the nonprofit was eager to increase awareness about the institute and the opportunities for classes, educational trips and other activities for those who have retired.
“We’d say “the ILR,” and no one knew what it was,” Call said. “We didn’t think we were well enough known.”
In addition to updating the website, the students created yard signs, flyers, business cards, bookmarks to be placed in the university’s libraries, paper placemats to be used on restaurant tables, a style guide, logo, advertising materials, and a new slogan for the institute.
“Never stop learning” is the new slogan. It was created by Aubrey Griess, an SRU junior assigned to the institute project.
Griess, of Mansfield, Tioga County, is a communications major working toward a concentration in advertising and a minor in marketing.
“The goal was to encourage more learners and instructors to join the ILR, create cohesiveness and make it recognizable so anyone who sees the logo will think ILR,” Griess said.
She and her team basically rebranded the institute, including new colors and fonts on their materials and website.
Griess admitted she had never heard of the institute until she was assigned to the project to help them with their rebranding.
“It’s a great idea,” she said. “It’s something for them to do, and it keeps their brain active. The purpose overall is great.”
Jairee Johnson, an SRU senior majoring in communications with a concentration in digital media production, recreated the institute’s website.
“We redesigned it and created a better user experience as a whole,” Johnson said. “We made the journey for users much smoother.”
He kept in mind while redesigning the site that older users don’t like multiple clicks, so various tabs on the website were made easy to access.
Johnson is working toward serving as the institute’s first summer intern. If all goes well, he will report to the institute next month.
“It’s a challenge I’m willing to take on,” he said.
Board member Call was more than impressed with the result produced by the students.
“I was blown away,” he said. “I don’t see how professionals could have done more.”
The website upgrade at the institute’s website, ilretirement.org, will roll out this summer.
Also impressed with the students’ knowledge and skill was Doug Cook, Harrisville clerk.
Cook said borough officials want a Facebook page where the borough newsletter would be posted, along with borough news, events, and ways to access past minutes and upcoming meeting agendas.
He said officials also are interested in recording monthly council meetings so residents could watch them at their leisure.
“People are really busy and maybe don’t want to sit through a two-hour meeting,” Cook said. “We wanted to be more accessible to the public in as many ways as possible.”
He said the SRU students created a newsletter template that he can change, and an official borough Facebook page that can accommodate videos and recorded meetings. In the future, minutes and agendas may be added.
Cook, a 1975 graduate of then Slippery Rock College, heard about the project with Strahler’s students during a conversation with the borough clerk in Slippery Rock.
“These kids taught me,” Cook said. “I love their youthfulness.”
Legacy Wrestling and Fitness, which is at 232 E. North St. in Butler, also benefited from working with Strahler’s students.
“The students did such a wonderful job with us,” said Katie Werner, chief operating officer and program creator at Legacy.
She said the students helped revamp the website, worked on a branding package, and gave instruction on creating testimonial videos.
“Working with the students was a very rewarding and valuable experience for us,” said Scott Stoner, Legacy founder and CEO.
Strahler said he will continue the program in the future because it benefits everyone involved.
“It’s a bridge builder,” he said. “Students get the opportunity to educate community partners, and the partners get to educate the students about their organization. It’s about reciprocity.”
