Kent State students present materials for public-awareness campaign

Staff report

WARREN

Nineteen Kent State University College of Communication and Information students worked this semester to help the Trumbull County Family and Children First Council promote greater awareness of the negative consequences of childhood trauma.

On Friday, the students presented their findings, based on more than 300 interviews conducted in Trumbull County and elsewhere, and their proposals for how to best convey the message to the public.

Bonnie Wilson, council coordinator, said she viewed the materials mostly as a marketing project, but the students come from many disciplines within the university and used their skills in communication, research, multimedia storytelling, design and advocacy.

Stephanie Smith, professor of journalism and mass communication, who guided the project, told the social-service professionals who attended the students’ presentation the goal was for the students to “pitch” their ideas to the council just as they would if they were trying to get a job with a client.

Each of four groups of students gave a 15-minute presentation, followed by a question-and-answer period.

The council’s Trauma-Informed Care subcommittee will review the proposals and meet in the coming months to decide which ones to use in its awareness campaign.

Students in the same class provided proposals that were used by the Alliance for Substance Abuse for an earlier awareness campaign on drug treatment.

Wilson flipped through the pages of a presentation from one of the four groups that showed a big and small elephant and the message: “Be the echo in a child’s life.”

Wilson said she especially liked how that theme was carried through on a bumper sticker or wall poster that says, “Kids Herd here.”

A 1998 study found a “profound relationship between adverse childhood experiences” and health risks, diseases, sexual behavior, disability and health care costs years later.