University of Alabama at Birmingham: UAB students partner with local nonprofit to instill a love for learning in children

Students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham partnered with Better Basics to share the Blazer Way and joys of literacy with children at Tuggle Elementary School on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the Blazers Read event.

Better Basics is a local nonprofit organization with a mission to increase reading literacy in children, helping them realize their full potential, achieve their dreams and thrive in an ever-changing world. Members of the UAB chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama/Public Relations Student Society of America and Catholic Blazers participated in Blazers Read, a community service event that allowed volunteers to read to K-second grade students. Students read several books to the children, including “Miss Bindergarten and the Best Friends” and “There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow.” This creative project was part of the public relations campaign the students are delivering for their capstone class.

“Being able to provide joy through reading to the next generation is a privilege,” said Nathan Anderson, president of PRCA/PRSSA at UAB. “It is our duty as public relations professionals to prepare our future leaders.”

Community service is at the heart of the public relations capstone class, Campaigns, in which students develop their public relations agencies to deliver campaigns for local nonprofit organizations of their choice. The course is through the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Communication Studies public relations program.

“I am so proud of these students,” said Jacquelyn Shaia, J.D., Ph.D., and director of the public relations program at UAB. “Dylan Baggiano, Ann Marie Stephens and Anaya Yoakum have worked remarkably hard to develop a solid campaign that will help this organization achieve its goals. These students have developed into young professionals and will represent UAB and the field well as they enter the workplace after graduation in December. They are truly ready.”

PRCA/PRSSA UAB is a student-led organization that welcomes membership from all students across majors at UAB. The organization has established itself as one of the finest in the country with students winning a significant number of national and statewide awards every year.