Students Learn Public Relations through Volunteer Work

Faculty and students team up with Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning to aid community

Professor Jane Paley of Sacred Heart University’s School of Communication, Media & the Arts takes full advantage of campus resources to ensure her students are not only prepared for a career, but also understand the importance of helping others.

Paley’s practice follows SHU's tradition of support for incorporating community engagement in courses. According to Anne Wendel, assistant director of the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning (VPSL), the University’s “core values recognize the dignity and worth of every human being and promote the common good of society. Our community engagement initiatives are key ways in which we live out our identity as a Catholic institution in tradition and spirit.”

Wendel connects faculty and staff with community partners who may be seeking assistance, whether it’s one-time volunteer service or semester-long service-learning projects. She works closely with Paley and Arlete Carmona, VPSL program manager, to identify projects for nonprofits they think will be a good fit for students. Paley says Wendel and Carmona are “right every time.” Each service project in which Paley’s classes engage is always a positive learning experience and enables students to make a positive impact, she says.

Most of Paley’s students major in advertising or public relations, though a few are studying media arts and digital communications. Regardless of their study focus, students learn through hands-on experiences as well as in-class lessons. “The objective is to provide each student with a professional portfolio and on-the-job preparedness,” Paley says.

Students don’t just volunteer once; they must participate in work that entails research, writing of press releases or ad copy, photography, design, podcasts and social media. They also learn about crisis intervention. “The service-learning aspect is key,” Paley says. “Their work touches lives in a tangible way.”

Currently, the class is helping with projects through the nonprofit Bridgeport Rescue Mission, assembling 300 “Feel Good” kits for homeless people. These kits contain hygiene and self-care products, along with an individual note and Hershey kiss to “sweeten the deal,” as Paley puts it. Employing a range of communications tools, Paley’s students are gathering enough donated supplies and notes to fill all the bags.  

The class is also taking on a project to help women who are in recovery to obtain jobs. Partnering with Easton Connects with Kindness, another local nonprofit organization, the class will help collect business attire for 12 women who would be unable to afford it otherwise.  

Another effort is underway to benefit the McGivney Community Center in Bridgeport to entirely re-brand and create a social media campaign about the center’s many activities that benefit the city’s youth. Press relation activities also include an overhaul of the center’s communication strategies and the redesign of its fundraising initiatives.

Students will embark on the third season of Little Red’s Toy Drive next fall. “More than 20% of our neighbors in Bridgeport are living below the poverty level. These neighbors are not a statistic to us; they are moms and dads; they are siblings; they are children. Our class provides Christmas presents for these children. We join forces with SHU’s volunteer services and campus ministry to support their Adopt-A Family initiative,” Paley says.

The class also put together more than 300 birthday bags, which included a toy and ingredients to make a birthday cake so parents could provide their children with a special treat on their birthdays. Launching an ad campaign and issuing a press release, the class was able to assemble all the materials for the birthday bags.

Students’ participation in service projects at Sacred Heart helps them learn that their work matters, Wendel says. They are able to see the difference they can make in other people’s lives and in the overall community, she adds.  

“Students are gaining so much by volunteering, including hands-on experience in a potential career field, the opportunity to share special talents and the chance to connect with local schools, nonprofit agencies and organizations. All of this can help in the future when students are looking for internship sites. It also helps develop interpersonal skills like communication, problem solving and teamwork, increases confidence in stepping outside of your comfort zone and gives students a feeling of purpose,” says Wendel.