The Human Rights Commission (HRC) in St. Joseph, Missouri was formed in the fall of 2018, but as time passed, members realized that a lot of people in the community were not aware of their existence or their mission. A class at Missouri Western is hoping to change that.
In the spring of 2019, Dr. Jennifer Jackson, assistant professor of communication and journalism, was looking for a nonprofit organization in the community that students in her Strategic Communication Campaigns course could help with marketing and communications. The HRC quickly came on board, and a partnership was born.
In the fall, students worked with HRC members to create goals and objectives, they designed a logo, surveyed the community and created several plans, such as social media strategies, for the HRC. Then, in Dr. Jackson’s spring 2019 Strategic Communication Practices course, students are implementing those plans.
“I was very excited they wanted to work with the class, and the students are glad, too,” she said of the HRC. “I can get behind the fight to treat each person fairly and equally.”
Dr. Jackson likes that her students have the opportunity for hands-on experience with a real client, and they gain the added benefit of learning how to work with different people. When the students presented their plans to HRC members last fall, members told Dr. Jackson that they were so impressed that they believed the students weren’t earning enough credit hours for their work.
HRC members were also impressed with Dr. Jackson, because they asked her to join the group as a member.