Students in COMM 495, Public Service Campaigns, met their prospective “match” organizations during a lively event at ODU’s Webb University Center on Tuesday, Jan. 16. This event was the formal kickoff to a semester of service-learning by upper level students in the Department of Communication & Theatre Arts.

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The 13 students Public Service Campaigns listened raptly to presentations from each of the participating organizations, who sent representatives to the Jan. 16 event. Over a delicious dinner of Indian food, students also mingled and networked with their prospective clients, asking detailed questions about the opportunities that exist in the partner organizations.

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That’s the neat thing about this service-learning class. It was clear from the short presentations by organizations ranging from the Newport News Green Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, UP Center and others that the need for PR, marketing and social media assistance is great. It’s also abundantly apparent that no two experiences will be the same for students this semester.

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At the end of the evening, students submitted preferences for their partner organization for the semester, based on the presentations and information they gathered from the representatives themselves. The “match” between students and their client will be announced with an introductory email on Friday, Jan. 19, but every organization was included among the top three choices by at least one student.

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We’re prepared for a productive semester, and we can’t wait to see the challenging opportunities presented to ODU’s motivated, talented Communication students.