UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two groups of Penn State communications will make separate spring break trips to Europe, but the aspiring documentary filmmakers and digital advertising professionals share a common goal of gaining hands-on, real-life experience, as well as a dose of independence and practical problem solving.
Advertising/public relations students to develop marketing program for nonprofit in Ireland
Lee Ahern, an associate professor of advertising/public relations, has led students on class-related spring break trips for years and appreciates the annual challenges and opportunities such trips present.
This year he and his wife, Colleen Connelly-Ahern, also an associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, are leading 16 students to Ireland, where they’ll work to develop a marketing program for Fighting Words, a nonprofit organization that provides free mentoring and programs in creative writing and the arts to audiences that range from children to adults.
Ahern’s students, who have experience with Google Ads and Google Ad Grants, will help the nonprofit harness those tools.
“They have a Grants account but have never used it, so the students should be able to make an impact and show some measurable success,” Ahern said. “The live campaigns will hopefully drive traffic to the group’s website and increase donations and volunteers.”
Along with those tangible goals, such “embedded trips” — with a week abroad in the middle of a full spring semester class — provide an opportunity for experiential and interpersonal growth. Ahern believes international travel and adapting to a different city and culture help build a student’s resilience and lead to success in many endeavors.
“If they’re expanding their comfort zone and gaining skills, they might not become a world traveler, but they will have experiences they can draw on the next time they’re facing a challenge or something different,” Ahern said. “Plus, in terms of our specific assignment, Fighting Words is probably the best client we’ve ever had, so the skill development should be strong.”
Documentary students to work on film ideas in Scotland
The documentary students might travel a bit more in Scotland than their public relations counterparts do in Ireland, but the experience means just as much and offers similar benefits.
Catie Grant, the assistant teaching professor who leads the international documentary production class, believes preparation matters for success. Her students have worked from afar during the first part of the semester to identify potential characters and ideas for their films.
The 16 students in the class — the largest ever for such a trip — will work in groups of four on film ideas once they’re on location. Initial film ideas include kiltmaking and paranormal activity in Scotland, and along with planned stories other ideas invariably develop.
“Once we get on site and they walk around a bit, the students start to see all kinds of story ideas,” Grant said. “Scotland has a rich artistic and creative history. It’ll be a be a great place for the students to experience and to find great characters.”
The documentary filmmakers also have a heavier lift, literally, than other travelers. Filmmaking requires cameras, lights and related equipment so Grant’s class must plan and transport those things. Rod Bingaman, an associate teaching professor, and Mike Zelazny, the equipment room and lab coordinator in the Bellisario College, will be part of the official traveling party for the trip.
Among students in the class, some have traveled internationally before but more have not. The mix includes some students with history related minors as well. Grant said the group is excited for the trip, and she is as well — especially because the international trip, even with its logistical challenges, provides the opportunity to focus on filmmaking.
“There are no club activities, other classes or anything else, and any cultural challenges get acclimated by immersion,” she said. “So, what you get is an intense opportunity focus on filmmaking and storytelling. Plus, we’re all together — same hotel, same situations — so you get to bond and know the students even better. It all leads to a really productive environment.”