Pando Days – the student experience
This is part of an ongoing series of blog posts following up on some of the real-world, community-based work initiated through Pando Days that’s continuing to make a difference. We sat down with Pando Days project team lead Mine Ucok-Hughes, Associate Professor of Marketing at California State University, Los Angeles, and Pando Days partner Joseph Burton from the Hearts for Sight Foundation to discuss the work that is continuing to be done following on the heels of the CSULA Pando Days ‘23 project, Keeping Nature Accessible.
Pando: Hello, and thanks for taking the time to discuss the exciting developments coming out of the CSULA student’s work from Pando Days ‘23/24. From what I understand, the experience was hugely beneficial for everyone involved.
Mine Ucok-Hughes: You are welcome. And yes, the students benefited greatly. And I think that Hearts for Sight also thoroughly enjoyed the process. But I don’t want to put words in your mouth, Joseph.
Joseph Burton: Well, you are spot on, Mine. Hearts for Sight not only loved working alongside your students, but the project itself has been really helpful for our organization.
Because not all of our readers will know about the project, let me quickly describe it as an initiative that uses marketing principles to help blind and visually impaired people get out in nature. The work has ongoing potential if used by other non-profits who want to make what they do accessible to a broader range of folks.
That’s right!
So maybe you can start, Mine, by telling us why this project, and the project-based model of education that it’s based on, was important for your students from an educator’s perspective.
Working with a community partner on a project was invaluable for the students because marketing is an applied field. While there are important theories and concepts we learn in class, it is vital for the students to apply these to real-life contexts.
There is a misconception that marketing is all about sales and advertising. Marketing is a set of tools and processes that can be used to create value for people and society at large. Giving the students an opportunity to thoroughly engage with these ideas was invaluable.
One of my students actually remarked:
“I liked that the project wasn’t based on a business, but rather, it was focused on the visually impaired…I disliked the monetary limitations of being a non-profit, but sometimes, that is simply the case when you work for a marketing firm. The project has also helped me think outside of the box. Marketing to the visually impaired requires additional research and figuring out how I could send them the information about the different events going on.”
These sorts of challenges and insights simply do not come from staying in the classroom.
Wonderful to hear. I couldn’t agree more.
Joseph, representing the project’s community partner as you do, how do you see the student experience after having worked with them on this initiative?
Well, we see their involvement as vital as well, but for different reasons.
Students are the leaders of tomorrow, and by involving them in addressing the challenges faced by people with disabilities, we can raise awareness about the barriers impacting the health and wellness of this population.
Students are creative and want to be part of the solution, not the problem. When students work on projects with real-world implications, they tend to be more engaged and produce high-quality work.
Many of the Cal State LA students, in particular, came from the surrounding community and are deeply invested in improving it. This collaboration allowed them to channel their passion into meaningful work that makes a positive impact right in their own backyard.
I think just generating the awareness of what they can do with their degree is hyper important.
Has the work had a continuing impact on your organization?
Actually, the work the students did has been instrumental in a $10,000 grant we just received from a corporate sponsor.
The students did a fantastic job highlighting the importance of access to nature and the outdoors, as well as the positive impact that a connection with nature has on the mental and physical health of people with visual impairments.
Currently, we at Hearts for Sight have integrated many elements of their project-based work, showcasing our efforts to provide access to outdoor spaces for the visually impaired community.
Wow. I am sure the students would feel proud knowing that their semester project still is not only living but also generating real momentum – and actual dollars – for your organization.
Oh yes. We definitely want to continue building on the foundation that they helped create.
Mine, let’s bring you in.
The students definitely made an impact. And, they definitely felt it as well. And, if I can add another student quote here:
“I enjoyed the realistic practice we gained in this class. I can honestly say that this class gave me the closest to real-life work experiences in my memory.“
In email correspondence, Mine adds:
The experience of working with a community partner on a project was invaluable for the students. Below, I included quotes from a number of students about their experience working on this project. Quotes were edited for clarity:
“I enjoyed the realistic practice we gained in this class. I can honestly say that this class gave me the closest to real-life work experiences in my memory. From our initial interview assignment to the HFS Marketing Analysis, these are all things similar to real-life work tasks we may encounter.”
“What I liked about the project was getting real-life experience by working with an organization that is real. I think this project helped with other classes in the sense that it gave me hands-on knowledge that I could apply to my future as well as my courses.”
“Going through the experience of working on a project that collaborated with Pando Days and Hearts for Sight was great overall. I enjoyed the fact that we were working on an actual program and researching to try and help while learning along the way. I learned that various factors come into play when finalizing research. There is a lot of trial and error, and it depends on teamwork to reach the end goal. I enjoyed the Artificial Intelligence (AI) aspect of creating a persona and getting practical experience to implement it into our work. With this project, I believe that it has shown me how to analyze surveys better and come up with solutions to create an efficient marketing campaign. I did feel that my critical thinking has improved overall, and I do think these tools will assist me more in my resume and in being able to stand out.”
“I had a very positive experience with the Hearts for Sight and Pando Days project. I learned how to think as if I were working for a marketing firm and apply the tools and knowledge that I have gained throughout the semester. I liked that the project wasn’t based on a business, but rather, it was focused on the visually impaired, which required additional research. I disliked the monetary limitations of being a non-profit, but sometimes, that is simply the case when you work for a marketing firm. This project will help me in the future when I get a marketing job because I can remember the different aspects I had to consider when doing this project and apply them to the new companies that I am working on improving. The project has also helped me think outside of the box. Marketing to the visually impaired requires additional research and figuring out how I could send them the information about the different events going on. The project taught me more than I expected to learn and had such a positive impact on my mindset in marketing.”
“I learned so much from the project and gained strength in many areas that are important for my degree and my life. Working with a real foundation made this project stand out from any other term projects I have done before. It added this “pressure” that I benefited from because it caused me to learn and try my best not only for myself but for my group. I learned more about how important communication is, not only within my group but also within the foundation itself, by having meetings with them, asking questions, and figuring out what exactly they want. I learned how important it is to find balance with everything you have to do. I was staying organized and not making myself overwhelmed with any information or data given through this project. I improved my networking skills and how to handle meeting with new people, giving off a great first impression. Another skill I feel I improved on was communication; my group and I communicated well, and it made things much smoother. My presentation skills were improved because of the Pando Days meeting I attended, and I represented Cal State LA in front of many other students, professors, and people who work in Pando Days. One skill I gained was working with Ascribe and using real data to help provide Hearts for Sight with certain marketing strategies. One aspect of this project I liked was helping out a foundation with such an incredible story and purpose. Helping the Visually Impaired made it that we were making a difference.”