How do you choose who you help? How do you decide the best cause of many good options?
This is the task Algonquin’s public relations students face every year.
Each year the PR students are put in groups of five or six and told to come up with a charitable organization to help. The charities have to be Ottawa-based and the students have to be involved in the campaigns.
“It’s more of a learning experience if the organization is less known,” said Stephen Heckbert, the public relations program coordinator.
The class usually forms into about 10 groups and puts forward 10 organizations to assist. These organizations can be anything from pet shelters to youth centres.
“I encourage students early on what kind of organization they’d like to be involved in,” said Heckbert. “The choices sometimes come from personal connnections to the organization.”
Once the charities have been established, it’s time for pitch day. That’s when the first process of elimination for what charity the students will assist happens. And it is the first opportunity to exercise the public relations skills they have learned.
Each group presents their charity to the class in a persuasive manner to try to convince them that their organization is the best choice.
After pitch day, the 10 organizations are narrowed down to three.
The three organizations chosen were Capital City Condors, The Door and LiveWorkPlay. They focus on facilitating sports for people with disabilities, helping youth and helping the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities as valued citizens.
There is a final round of elimination in the form of another, more detailed pitch day and the winner is chosen.
The public relations students have deemed LiveWorkPlay the best of the many good causes.