An acoustic band competition was among the events organised by studen...
PRMM202 student Caludia Butcher-Piat, Associate Professor Sam Garrett...
PRMM202 students with Jessica Baxter, In2Uni Program Coordinator Kyli...
The 80’s Prom Night event saw attendees step back in time and dust of...
PR students support scholarships
A UOW Public Relations class finished the semester with more than just good grades to be proud of after their efforts raised over $14,000 to support student scholarships.
Students studying PRMM202, Public Relations Strategy, came up with creative events including an 80s prom night and a treadmill-a-thon to raise money for In2Uni Scholarships.
Lecturers Sue Slowikowski and Jessica Baxter said the student groups were all successful, with the events receiving significant media coverage as well as raising awareness about the In2Uni program.
Ms Baxter said PRMM202 students were pleased to have the opportunity to assist future students hoping to attend university.
“From the class’ efforts, 18 scholarships will be awarded in 2012, almost 40% more than in previous years,” she said.
“The money raised this year allowed at least one scholarship to be awarded in perpetuity every year. This is a significant legacy from the PRMM202 2012 class.”
Student Claudia Butcher-Piat said she enjoyed helping organise her group’s event, a six hour treadmill-a-thon held in Bowral.
“University has been a significant part of my life. The friends I’ve made and the experiences and opportunities I have been given are invaluable. I was happy to be able to help raise money for scholarships to help other people have similar opportunities,” she said.
Other events organised by the students included an acoustic band competition and a frat house fundraiser featuring bands, entertainment and food.
Ms Baxter said the events helped students to improve their ability to communicate to many stakeholders and work in diverse teams, both skills that are highly desired in the workplace.
“The subject is a way for students to gain practical experience whilst completing their degree,” she said.
“The public relations industry is competitive, so we tried to provide students with an advantage over those graduating with a similar degree from other universities.”
“There’s a big difference between learning concepts and putting them into practice, Dr Lois Burgess created the practical subject with this in mind as she wanted students to have the chance to demonstrate what they’ve learned through a real life example,” she said.
This event has helped them improve their ability to communicate with many stakeholders and to work in diverse teams, both are skills highly desired in the workforce. They also learnt how to be creative whilst still working towards an objective and abiding by guidelines.
The student’s efforts were recognise through the presentation of certificates from the Faculty of Commerce and letters of appreciation from In2Uni.
The In2Uni Program is a partnership between UOW and the Department of Education and Communities (DEC NSW), Illawarra and South East Region which aims to build aspirations for tertiary education and beyond by allowing selected primary and secondary school students to explore the university and its possibilities.
$1000 Scholarships are awarded each year to first year university students who have been involved in the In2Uni program. For more information on the scholarships click here.
