It is the end of my internship at United Way WA. It has been the best 20 days and i have learnt so much along the journey. Like most people i was dreading my internship, the nervous and the time dedicating to it seemed daunting but I am glad that i was forced to do it. I am so grateful for UWWA for allowing me to work there and it gave me such a good insight as to what i will experience in the real world.
Some lessons learnt:
- Always be prepared
- Sometimes it is not what you know but who you know! Start networking
- Proof read everything
- Time is essential
They may be pretty simple lessons but i have found out they are the most important elements to maintain and their importance is often overlooked.
I was able to be involved in quite a few public relations activities and these experiences will help me form my portfolio for future jobs
- Wrote media releases
- Created media kits
- Designed flyers for event
- Designed logos for an event and campaign
- Created a newletter snapshot on the companies progress
- Created information for a state newsletter
- Attended and set up event
With being involved in all these PR activities i have learnt vital information and techniques that will become valuable and vital for future job prospects. University has provided me with background knowledge on how to tackle all of these activities but you don't notice the importance of them until you are creating them and putting them in place in an actual company. I cant wait to get into the real world.
Since United Way WA is a not for profit organisation they are unable to employ me because of lack on resources, but have offered for me to continue to intern for them for more experience if i like after my exams. I felt very welcome in their office and they made me feel like part of the family. I am forever grateful to them
Showing posts with label United Way WA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Way WA. Show all posts
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Launch day
Last week was my first event/launch since starting my internship. On thursday the 12th of Sepetember United Way (where im doing my placement) collaborated with Dyslexia-Speld, Midland CLAN and other organisations to launch an early literacy campaign called 'Paint the Swan READ' to encourage parents/gaurdians to read to their children from birth because kids are coming to school without literacy skills.
The launch was held at Centrepoint shopping centre at Midland. Local schools and day care centres were onboard with the launch and came along for the day. At the launch we provided entertainment with songs and our mascot Red the Super Reading Roo, creative activities such as drawing, colouring in and making your own library bag. Also when parents were ready to go they were able to get a package and some books to put in their childs library bag and grab a sticker for a free fruit cup and sausage sizzle.
The launch was well planned in the sense that they had everything ready to entertain the children but there was no structure. The volunteers for the day didnt stick to their jobs meaning people didnt know what some activities were because there was no one their to guide them and trying to maintain photo request forms was difficult.
As children were coming in we were trying to get parents to sign a photo request form so we could take photos for the media. The media had agreed to publish a story if we provide a backgrounder, photos and consent forms. As we got busier with an influx of kids it was harder to control who had signed and who hadnt. Also the daycare had insisted that we cannot take photos of their kids which meant there wasnt alot of photo opportunity since they were the main attraction and the mascot was associating with them the most.
The even should have been organised better in the sense of photo opportunities and we should ahve liased with the daycare centre before hand to get photo consent forms because then we would have been able to get better shots for the media.
All in all it was a good day but it was a little hectic having that many kids in one confined space.
The launch was held at Centrepoint shopping centre at Midland. Local schools and day care centres were onboard with the launch and came along for the day. At the launch we provided entertainment with songs and our mascot Red the Super Reading Roo, creative activities such as drawing, colouring in and making your own library bag. Also when parents were ready to go they were able to get a package and some books to put in their childs library bag and grab a sticker for a free fruit cup and sausage sizzle.
The launch was well planned in the sense that they had everything ready to entertain the children but there was no structure. The volunteers for the day didnt stick to their jobs meaning people didnt know what some activities were because there was no one their to guide them and trying to maintain photo request forms was difficult.
As children were coming in we were trying to get parents to sign a photo request form so we could take photos for the media. The media had agreed to publish a story if we provide a backgrounder, photos and consent forms. As we got busier with an influx of kids it was harder to control who had signed and who hadnt. Also the daycare had insisted that we cannot take photos of their kids which meant there wasnt alot of photo opportunity since they were the main attraction and the mascot was associating with them the most.
The even should have been organised better in the sense of photo opportunities and we should ahve liased with the daycare centre before hand to get photo consent forms because then we would have been able to get better shots for the media.
All in all it was a good day but it was a little hectic having that many kids in one confined space.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
What could go wrong, will go wrong!
Busy busy busy! Next week my internship placement United Way WA are launching a new campaign caleld Paint the Swan REaD. We have collaborated with Dyslexia - Speld Foundation and Midland Clan to launch a early literacy program! And as what the tutors have taught us "What could possibly go wrong will go wrong".
So let me start with about the campaign. The idea is to create an awareness for the need of early literacy in children because recent studies have shown that young kids are coming to school without basic literacy skills. Children are needing from birth to be exposed to reading, singing and rhyming. To launch the campaign we have also created a 'learning trial' which is a trial that kids follow and use basic literacy skills. At the moment the campaign is focused in Middle Swan district and the launch which is September 6th is at Middle Swan Primary School.
Part of the learning trial
Now the organisers of this campaign last minute have decided that they would like to have an 'egg' that travels to different locations in the weeks leading up to the campaign. The purpose of this is that the mascot 'Red the Super Reading Roo' has lost his egg. The kids will go and visit the egg over the weeks at its different locations and the egg will grow as the kids sing, read and rhyme to it and at the launch it will reach its full growth and Red the Roo will find it. This is to get people aware of the campaign and the ideas behind it. But this egg has caused a few problems.. The problems being that the egg has to be made, media erleases have to written, locations for it have to be found and advertising is needed. We only had a space of a couple of weeks to write releases and to get the local media to print weekly updates on the campaign (and beleive me it is difficult and journalists only want to be contacted via email). I had to then make flyers for shopping centres, Make colouring in sheets, create social media oportunities to advertise where the egg is going and also design the mascto and logos for banners.
Of course this was all done in a tight time frame and nothing worked out the way any of us wanted it to. But with persistence and time management we are now successfully on track to the launch next week. I have certainly learnt that to have a smooth sailing campaign, organisation is key!!
So let me start with about the campaign. The idea is to create an awareness for the need of early literacy in children because recent studies have shown that young kids are coming to school without basic literacy skills. Children are needing from birth to be exposed to reading, singing and rhyming. To launch the campaign we have also created a 'learning trial' which is a trial that kids follow and use basic literacy skills. At the moment the campaign is focused in Middle Swan district and the launch which is September 6th is at Middle Swan Primary School.
Part of the learning trialNow the organisers of this campaign last minute have decided that they would like to have an 'egg' that travels to different locations in the weeks leading up to the campaign. The purpose of this is that the mascot 'Red the Super Reading Roo' has lost his egg. The kids will go and visit the egg over the weeks at its different locations and the egg will grow as the kids sing, read and rhyme to it and at the launch it will reach its full growth and Red the Roo will find it. This is to get people aware of the campaign and the ideas behind it. But this egg has caused a few problems.. The problems being that the egg has to be made, media erleases have to written, locations for it have to be found and advertising is needed. We only had a space of a couple of weeks to write releases and to get the local media to print weekly updates on the campaign (and beleive me it is difficult and journalists only want to be contacted via email). I had to then make flyers for shopping centres, Make colouring in sheets, create social media oportunities to advertise where the egg is going and also design the mascto and logos for banners.
Of course this was all done in a tight time frame and nothing worked out the way any of us wanted it to. But with persistence and time management we are now successfully on track to the launch next week. I have certainly learnt that to have a smooth sailing campaign, organisation is key!!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The beginning of my Public Relations Internship
My first couple of weeks of Public Relations Internship have
certainly been an interesting one. Where to begin? Well on the semester
break i started emailing organisations and i was fortunate enough that
within the same day of emailing i had a call back from United Way WA.
With in a few days after that call i was officially an intern.
Firstly a little about United Way. Basically it is a not for profit organisation that works with corporate companies such as Bankwest, Chevron and Westpac (to name a few) and links them with community based charitable organisation. They create opportunities for people and organistations to give, advocate and volunteer. To give an example the other day i went along with United Way WA and a group of Bankwest employees and we cooked fresh food from scratch and served it to the homeless in Perth. Bankwest funded the project and paid their volunteers to spend a day volunteering in the community. I went along to help and to also create media opportunities about the days proceedings.
So far i am really enjoying my time at my placement. Though i have found that United Way WA has really lacked in its Public Relations sector this year, which is good for me because it means i have lots of work to do. Everyone i work with have been so busy with organising new campaigns and volunteering opportunities no one has had much time to focus on publicity and the media. Within my first day i started on writing media releases and creating templates for media kits to send out to the media on the latest volunteering achievements.
United Way does so much for the community and they have so much opportunity to gain more support and awareness. At the moment I am creating social media strategies and media releases to boost the creditability of the organisation and to also get their name out into society so people and companies are aware that such an organisation exists. Soon i will also be working on the media aspect of this new campaign that is soon to be launched called Paint the Swan REaD. I will be writing media releases, talking to journalists, helping to create logos and to also create social media opportunities to promote the campaign.
I feel that my internship is the beginning to my future in Public Relations and i am excited to see what is next.
Firstly a little about United Way. Basically it is a not for profit organisation that works with corporate companies such as Bankwest, Chevron and Westpac (to name a few) and links them with community based charitable organisation. They create opportunities for people and organistations to give, advocate and volunteer. To give an example the other day i went along with United Way WA and a group of Bankwest employees and we cooked fresh food from scratch and served it to the homeless in Perth. Bankwest funded the project and paid their volunteers to spend a day volunteering in the community. I went along to help and to also create media opportunities about the days proceedings.
So far i am really enjoying my time at my placement. Though i have found that United Way WA has really lacked in its Public Relations sector this year, which is good for me because it means i have lots of work to do. Everyone i work with have been so busy with organising new campaigns and volunteering opportunities no one has had much time to focus on publicity and the media. Within my first day i started on writing media releases and creating templates for media kits to send out to the media on the latest volunteering achievements.
United Way does so much for the community and they have so much opportunity to gain more support and awareness. At the moment I am creating social media strategies and media releases to boost the creditability of the organisation and to also get their name out into society so people and companies are aware that such an organisation exists. Soon i will also be working on the media aspect of this new campaign that is soon to be launched called Paint the Swan REaD. I will be writing media releases, talking to journalists, helping to create logos and to also create social media opportunities to promote the campaign.
I feel that my internship is the beginning to my future in Public Relations and i am excited to see what is next.
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