This last semester, in my Business Communications course, I was
able to work as a student consultant to the CEVGV, better known as the Center
for Empowering Victims of Gender-Based Violence. My job was to create content
via social media posts that would help support their missions, such as reducing
constraints that survivors face, provide sustainable support to survivors. This
mission was one of both empowerment and support. This learning experience
taught me how to translate my learning in the classroom to real life situations
and environments. This project spanned an array of subjects, including content
creation, research, teamwork, and has greatly enhanced my skills as both a
professional, a student, and a communicator.
One clear benefit from this service learning experience and
the Business Communications course in general was improving my employability in
today’s current job climate. I was able to gain experience with digital content
tools and applications in order to develop professional and engaging content.
As most employers and organizations have entered into the digital space and
social media platforms, it is crucial for employees to increase their
experience and skills in those departments. My projects led me to many
different applications, such as Canva and Vistacreate, that gave me the skills
to plan, create, and publish social media content. Other social media
management applications, like Trello and Buffer offered insight in how to
manage, automate, and design content in a simplified and straightforward
manner.
This project also allowed me to hone my communication
skills. I was crafting content that could be used by a real nonprofit
organization and the quality of the work I created was important. I learned how
to be intentional in my communication and craft messages that were meant for a
specific purpose and audience.
Another important aspect that I learned throughout the span
of this course was the importance of organizing projects and the use of collaborative
applications and tools. I was able to use different applications such as Trello
to plan projects. Utilizing a project planning application allows the user to
assign tasks, responsibilities, assign deadlines, and track progress. Projects
can be archived to be saved and retrieved in the future. Microsoft Copilot was
an interesting tool that was able to assign responsibilities based on preferences
and the strengths of the team members.
My particular project completely lacked collaboration, as I
was never able to get into contact or receive responses from my group. Whether
it was scheduling conflicts or a technical glitch, but I was still able to
visualize how the applications would have been extremely helpful in dividing responsibilities,
holding members accountable, and fostering collaboration amongst team members.
Being a collaborative team member open to sharing and creating with others
while communicating effectively are highly sought after skills of both students
and professionals alike. I would like to believe that I did my best to showcase
those skills, despite the lack of collaboration from the other members of my
team.
My overall goal when considering the creation of content and
any visuals in relation to CEVGV was to create an appealing, engaging post that
was able to embody the mission and goals of the CEVGV. I think I was able to draw
on different design elements, such as the color purple for domestic violence,
including the CEVGV logo, and inspiring images that raises awareness concerning
Gender-Based Violence and its victims. By presenting inspiring images, calls to
actions, and creating the Survivor Stories Spotlight series, I was able to capitalize
on the users emotional connection and research connecting post content and
increased engagement rates. Implementing research based insights gained from
Statisa and creating engaging visuals, my posts were designed with one thought
in mind. Reach survivors and allies. Increase engagement. Gain a bigger audience
and following. Encourage people to share and comment. Create a safe space and
destigmatize the negative association with victims of gender based violence.
Creating content that delivered a consistent branding and message helped create
a unique identity and community, fostering support and empowerment.
CEVGV has a reputation to uphold and must ensure that the
content that is delivered on its social media platforms is both accurate and relevant.
Research was conducted on all data and statistics through sources deemed
appropriate and credible. For example, I pulled information from the World
Health Organization and Statista, both of which are highly esteemed and
reputable resources.
I surveyed each post to implement a tone of support and
empowerment, while ensuring that the content aligned with CEVGV’s mission. I conducted
further research, looking up content from other sources and nonprofit
organizations to make sure the content was matching the desired outcomes.
Statista was clearly one of the most valuable
resources available during the duration of this project. Having access to
reputable data that can be utilized to gain credibility with our audience was
priceless. It also provided an ease of use. Accessing up to date information
quickly that could be used in many different formats made for easy and engaging
content creation. The data was presented well in an easy to read format that I
used to create data driven captions. The resulting content was research
supported and credible, while also increasing content engagement.
This service-learning project was an experience I will
remember for a long time to come. It taught me the many uses of communication
while fostering change. Every message was crafted with a specific outcome in
mind and I am very proud of what I created in the process. In the future, I
hope I will be able to draw on the education I received through the duration of
this project and the skills I learned in the process. Having a real opportunity
to help craft the image of a nonprofit organization such as CEVGV was illuminating
and educational.
Statista. (2021, November 25). One in three women experience violence at hands of a partner [Chart]. https://www.statista.com/chart/24406/partner-violence-against-women-by-region/
Statista
Statista. (2021, November 25). One in three women experience violence at hands of a partner [Chart]. https://www.statista.com/chart/24406/partner-violence-against-women-by-region/
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Health Organization. (2021). Violence against women prevalence estimates, 2018. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240022256
Canva
Canva. (n.d.). Empowering the world to design. https://www.canva.com/
VistaCreate
VistaCreate. (n.d.). Design anything. Publish anywhere. https://create.vista.com/
Trello (Atlassian)
Atlassian. (n.d.). Trello – Collaborate, manage projects, and reach new productivity peaks. https://trello.com/
Buffer
Buffer. (n.d.). Plan, schedule, and track your social media performance. https://buffer.com/
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft. (n.d.). Microsoft Copilot – Your everyday AI companion. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot
