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What’s Your Favorite Children’s Book? Students in PR Apprentice Program Create Winning Social Media Campaign to Improve Literacy, Address Diversity

Compiled from reports by Nadine General, Susan Trien and David Grome

Fourteen percent of the U.S. population is unable to read. Ten college students from seven area colleges competed in The PR Apprentice Program to help change that; specifically, for the 106 local children enrolled at Ibero-American Action League’s Early Childhood Center, many of whom do not have even one book at home.

Held October 2 and 3, and organized by PRSA’s Rochester Diversity and Young Professionals committee, students worked in teams to craft and pitch a PR campaign to build a Lending Library with enough books to outfit each of the 106 children and promote the importance of literacy for children and their parents. Eight local industry professionals served as coaches as students developed their final presentations for a judging panel of local industry influencers and Ibero-American Action League staff.

The winning team (Laquanda M. Fields, SUNY Brockport; Sarah Fredendall, St. John Fisher College and Chase Ferren, Nazareth College) had as their campaign’s centerpiece a social media campaign asking celebrities and local politicians to respond via Facebook and twitter to the question: What is your favorite children’s book? They also outlined a plan to encourage donations at book drops and create community partnerships with commercial, cultural and educational organizations.

A second team, with the help of Amanda Dedie, a senior at Fredonia, secured a partnership with Savers to get Ibero in its rotation to receive a donation of 500 books before the program even concluded.

All three teams were enthusiastic, thoughtful, and creative, coming up with valuable ideas that will be considered for implementation by Ibero.

Winners received a Junior PRism—a version of the award presented each year to outstanding public relations work around the nation. Each of the students also walked away with a portfolio piece and a valuable hands-on learning experience. Through the volunteer efforts of students, coaches, committee members. judges, and the IBERO American Action League, the Apprentice Program was a collective win-win for diversity in public relations and communications.

Judges in the PR Apprentice Program: (From left to right) – Rachel DeGuzman, President, 21^st Century Arts; Shalym Nater, Youth Mentor, Ibero American Action League; David Grome, Account Director; Butler Till and Apprentice Program co-founder; Karen Olson, Freelance, Former Brockport Professor, Apprentice Program Co-Founder; Ida Perez, Director of Children and Youth, Ibero American Action League

Ten student participants in the Apprentice Program: (From left to right) – Tyler Brown, SUNY Brockport, Amanda Pruden, Nazareth College, Chase Ferren, Nazareth College, Carolina Rondon, Rochester Institute of Technology, Julie Constable, Rochester Institute of Technology, Laura DeMartino, Rochester Institute of Technology, Laquanda Fields, SUNY Brockport (dog sweater), Sarah Fredendall, St. John Fisher College (pictured front left – white patterned shirt), Amanda Dedie, SUNY Fredonia (Front, center, black shirt); Yomarya Guerreo, Nazareth College (front, right, black sweater and white shirt)