The Shippensburg University PRSSA works with multiple clients that work inside and outside the university campus and community throughout the year to help make not only campus life but the community better.

When looking for potential clients, the PRSSA executive board discusses organizations they would like to work with on campus or around the area. They then choose certain organizations to reach out to about the possibility of helping. However, sometimes clients will reach out to the PRSSA as they were looking for them to accomplish specific tasks. Such tasks might include promotion, taking videos, creating flyers or brochures, and making social media content. 

Over time the PRSSA has represented many organizations not only on campus but off campus in the community as well. Currently this semester the organization is working with The Slate and the SCRC. PRSSA Chapter President Madison Griffith further discussed some of the clients the organization had served in the past both on and off campus.

“We have served in the past since I have been attending Shippensburg has been the ROTC on campus, the Art of Pie Café in town, a transitional house for young women called Bethany House in Carlisle, PA, the Marketing team on campus, the Shippensburg Recreation, and the Women’s Frisbee Club team,” said Griffith. The work these organizations do often have a big impact on not only the student and campus but the community as well.

“It’s good for students to produce amazing work that they can use in the future to show their involvement not only had an impact on their school, but their community. It is beneficial for students to see what organizations in their local community and within their university are doing because maybe there could be possible opportunities for them whether that be a leadership role, internship, etc,” said Griffith. 

The Shippensburg University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is an organization for people who are interested in public relations and communications. They work with client groups to help promote their brand and group, but also to help build client relationships with their respective audiences. The group’s mission is to help students and the community to enhance their education, broaden their network, and launch their careers.

The organization is not just available for people within the communications and journalism major as Griffith confirmed. “This organization is open to anyone. We don’t have any restrictions with being able to join and to be involved. We don’t only have communication and journalism students involved in PRSSA, we encourage any majors to join because the professional skills you develop and learn in this organization are very beneficial to have in the future,” said Griffith

The Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition (SCRC) is an organization in the Shippensburg community that partnered with the university with the aim to help increase access to social services and youth programs for residents in the area. The coalition also aims to provide educational opportunities for the students on campus, as well as provides many initiatives to help the campus and community. 

The SCRC Center Director and Professor of Social Work, Liz Fisher, went into further detail on some of the initiatives they do for the university’s students. “We provide multiple student internships every year, service learning projects, and employ SU students – all with the goal of serving the community and providing educational opportunities to students. We have also hosted faculty and student research projects,” said Fisher. When asked about what the PRSSA are doing to help with the SCRC to help them Dr.Fisher said, “They are going to help us with several marketing projects.”

In particular this semester the PRSSA is helping the SCRC work on promotional pieces to celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary and open house. They are also going to be helping with one of the SCRC’s biggest fundraising events of the year according to Griffith, in Match Madness. The PRSSA will be creating flyers, and brochures, taking photos, filming videos, writing an article, and even making social content to promote the upcoming events the SCRC will be having. 

When asked what the goal of helping the SCRC with their projects was, Griffith explained their hopes for the partnership. “PRSSA is working to make our university (students, faculty, alumni, etc.) more aware about what SCRC is and what they do as a partnership with the university,” said Griffith. The PRSSA will be continuing to work with the SCRC for the remainder of this year and into 2023 to complete work for the group, but also continue to promote the organization through multiple media facets. 

If you would like to get involved with the Shippensburg University PRSSA chapter or learn more you can contact Madison Griffith (mg4099@ship.edu)the organization’s faculty advisor, Dr. Carrie Sipes (casipes@ship.edu). To learn more about the SCRC you can visit their website. If you would like to get involved with SCRC you can contact SCRC Center Coordinator, Sonja Payne (spscrc@shipresources.org).

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