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Students explore emerging marketing tools
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Teammates Cori Palazzo, of Struthers, and Ryan Musgrove, of Boardman, showed off the QR codes that they will use during their Interactive Multimedia marketing project on MCCTC's Collision Repair program. QR codes can be scanned by cell phones and tablet computers and will bring the user to an online destination.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Northeast Martial Arts Academy instructor Matt Gallo (left) received some help explaining the concepts of aim and focus with fellow instructor Justine Dikun (right).
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Along with a YouTube video and table tents advertising MCCTC's Culinary Arts program, Interactive Multimedia students Elizabeth Blythe and Xoella Camelli presented Culinary Arts a poster to display in the school's student-run restaurant. Chef Matt Putzier (left) accepted the poster from Blythe and Camelli (right) on Oct. 18. Leah Yochman was also a member of the student group, but absent during the presentation.
By SARAH FOOR
Mahoning County Career and Technical Center’s Interactive Multimedia students have spent much of their school year exploring emerging marketing tools to share information with their peers.
When the ban on cell phones was lifted to allow use in the cafeteria and halls this year, Interactive Multimedia teacher Melissa Hackett and Career Development supervisor Jacqueline Kuffel devised a plan to create a teaching opportunity out of the new privilege.
“We wanted to show that handheld electronics can serve an educational purpose. We created an ongoing project that includes the use of video design, graphic design, social media and marketing tools like QR codes, which are bar codes that can be scanned electronically and will bring you to an online destination.
“Each student group has investigated a MCCTC program and are using these interactive tools to advertise to their peers,” explained Hackett.
On Oct. 14, the first team of Interactive Multimedia students unveiled their projects. Students Xoella Camelli and Elizabeth Blythe presented posters, table tents and a short YouTube video inviting their peers to “Shake it Up with Culinary Arts” to chef Matt Putzier and his students.
The finished product was a collaboration between the students and Putzier to show the many exciting opportunities in Culinary Arts.
Interactive Multimedia students, including those from the communities of Austintown, Boardman, Canfield and Poland, are marketing each of the 21 MCCTC programs in teams.
“The project really brings their skills to the next marketing level. Increasingly, marketing and advertising has become a collaborative art, where the audience loves to be involved. They’re exploring the very cutting edge of speaking to consumers,” said Hackett.
Teammates Rikki Farina, of Austintown, and Shanna Brown, of South Range, focused on the cosmetology program, and used their project to highlight the many services the program offers.
“They can do more than cut hair,” offered Brown. “We showed the students doing nails, facials, makeup and styling as well.”
“It’s been a great project, because advertising from students to other students is really what our MCCTC is all about,” said Farina.