The School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) is working to develop a long-term relationship with community and civic organizations in Coralville. Associate Professor Rachel Young is helping to develop and manage this project overall.
Students in the Fall 2021 Environmental Communication class, taught by Associate Professor Kajsa Dalrymple, kicked off this amazing partnership by working with Coralville City Councillor, Hai Huynh, to understand public knowledge of and experience with water quality in the community.
Students were grouped into the following teams for each section of their project:
Grant and Community Resources: Ava Cohen, Tabitha Kuehn, Daniel Ungari and Quincy Wells
Interviews/Audio/Video: Riley Cranston, Trevor Ergenbright, Liz Gaar, Drew Jauron and Trevor Schoepel
Mapping/GIS/Infographics: Ethan Aamodt, Taylor Cantril, Dawson Gamble, Bryanna Popejoy and Julia Stierman
Narrative Writers: Melanie Comer, Lauren Luerkens, Brady Osborne, Brady Vanlo and Tyler Zahn
Survey and Questionnaire Design: Molly Kinney, Ashton Knatz, Alyssa Schnoor, Katie Stovold and Jake Wayne
Web Design: Jordan Banfield, Nicole Bath, Emily Ellinger, Morgan Jessie and Tatiana Ochoa
On December 9th, 2021 each of the student groups presented their own work to Ms. Huynh.
Community-engaged learning allows our students to apply what they’re learning outside the classroom. Long-term relationships like this mean there can be more sustained impact for community organizations, rather than projects that end when the semester ends. Students can also become more involved with the community and learn more from community leaders if they do several projects in Coralville over their time in the major.
In Fall 2021, several SJMC classes worked with community organizations in Coralville on pilot projects!
Frank Durham’s Strategic Communication Class developed short videos to help Houses into Homes recruit volunteers.
Some students in Melissa Tully’s Audio Production Class recorded interviews for the Digital History Archive at the Coralville Public Library
In Spring of 2022, faculty hope to run a few more pilot projects pairing students with Coralville community partners. SJMC senior James Dykeman will also be developing the website, social media, and other communication materials for the SJMC-Coralville collaboration.