Students learn about client relations and production challenges by playing “Project Management Jenga.” Through gameplay they also learn collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills. (Angela Foster/UTC Communications and Marketing)
By Caroline Bledsoe
As a senior, I’ve witnessed all kinds of classes—the good, the bad, and the downright grueling. This semester, I’m part of a combined capstone course—Professor David Norman’s Public Relations Campaigns and Dr. Anthony Cepak’s Publication Design II—which is hands-down the best of the best. Structured as a student-run agency, students are currently developing and implementing public relations and marketing campaigns for local nonprofits in Chattanooga.
Though the class has only just started, I can confidently say that this will be the most rewarding experience that I’ve ever had at UTC. Not only does this give us the opportunity to practice what we’ve learned, it provides these nonprofits with real help from fresh perspectives.
There are eight teams of four to six students working with these great local NFP’s: WTCI PBS, the MOMentum Network, Chatech, Volunteers in Medicine, the Signal Mountain Playhouse, The UNfoundation, the Creative Discovery Museum, and The Faith Co-op.
Account Supervisors, like me, are tasked with keeping our teams and projects on track. Each student assumes professional titles such as Art Manager or Media Relations Manager that cover what they have agreed to work on throughout the semester.
Part of what makes this class so amazing is that each team has created a plan that is different and customized to their client. While my PBS team is working on promotion and day-of duties for an event called “Be My Neighbor Day,” other teams are working on full brand or website redesigns or video series.
We are all getting hands-on experience with project management and soft skills like teamwork and active communication. The class is more freeform that others which gives us the space to be creative and collaborative.
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