Students Helping Students

I teach a class at USF called the Business of Graphic Design. It offers the benefits of an advertising agency internship within a class setting.  Our main project, “Students Helping Students'' is a practical hands-on approach that gives them real-world branding experience. It pairs USF Design students with a local elementary school and tasks them with creating a school logo and spirit merchandise.

In my view, a school's identity and mascot foster a friendly, approachable environment, instilling a sense of pride and belonging. These elements provide a common label through which students associate themselves. School spirit, crucial in any educational community, exemplifies the importance of teamwork, cultivates a social community, and unites the entire school community as one cohesive entity. Elementary school marks the genesis of this pride.

Unfortunately, public schools often lack resources for logos and branding, with limited funds allocated to essentials like books, students, and teachers. USF design students have the ability to create these logos and build brands. Engaging in such projects not only enriches their portfolios, and provides invaluable experience in client interaction, it also gives the elementary schools the professional assistance they need.

So far, I’ve had the privilege of helping five elementary schools in the Tampa Bay area, and I’m always looking for my next project.