Rowan University’s public relations students will once again begin competing in the annual Public Relations Student Society of American (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study competition.

The competition consists of teams of four or five students, who research, plan, implement and evaluate a comprehensive public relations campaign. Research and planning are done from November through February, with teams implementing their ideas in February and March. Final entries are due to PRSSA headquarters in April.

After a judging process, which is overseen by PRSSA members and other professionals, three finalists will be chosen to present their campaigns to sponsor representatives. The first place team receives $3,500 and a trophy, second place receives $2,500 and a plaque and third place receives $1,500 and a plaque. All teams are recognized at the PRSSA National Conference.

This competition allows public relation students to apply their education and experience to create a public relations campaign. Each year the competition hosts a different foundation. Past foundations include Campaign to Change Directions, Student Veterans of America and Home Matters. The foundation this year will be With Purpose, which strives to increase awareness of the problems affecting childhood cancer.

The Rowan students hold responsibility for preparing a public relations campaign for the With Purpose foundation while aiming to increase awareness of the problems surrounding childhood cancer treatment on Rowan’s campus. The team plans to achieve this goal by evaluating the current awareness level of childhood cancer treatment and finding creative ways to recruit students to engage in the organization.

Erin Benson, the founder of With Purpose, said that the main goal of the foundation is advocacy.

“We like to think of With Purpose as a community of young people operating independently and creatively, and thinking about the issues surrounding childhood cancer while having the freedom to spread the word in their communities the best way they can,” Benson said. “The movement will be effective if we can make the next generation and the generation after that aware that there is a problem, aware of ways to fix it, and convince them that it is really going to drive change.”

Rowan students began their campaign by launching a Rowan With Purpose Facebook and Instagram. They also held their first event in February raising $75 for the foundation.

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