Back to School with Sesame Street Leaves Local Children Ready for the New School Year

Tallahassee children are going back to school with smiles on their faces and school supplies in their backpacks. On Saturday, Aug. 21, it was evident where every little boy or girl was. The event was filled with tons of children playing, laughing and singing along with Elmo.

The live videotaping of Sesame Street was educational as well as entertaining. The children were interactive during the videotaping. They answered questions and stayed engaged throughout the entire show, parents were amazed at how attentive their little one could really be.

There was never a dull moment during the event. Games, scavenger hunts, and face painting were available, at Tom Brown Park’s Centennial Rotary playground. Elmo had a blast on the swing. He thought he was flying and tried to go as high as he could, rapidly swinging his legs forward and backward.

CableCore United would like to thank PBS and the Sesame Street family for taking the time to enlighten, entertain and interact with the children before school starts. This event could not have been possible without them. CCU has already started working on an event for next year. It will be as educational as this year’s event, but with even more fun. We are looking forward to seeing everyone’s smiling face again next year.

Giving Back—A Community Priority

Ever visit your favorite restaurant to purchase a meal and realize that you are down to your last two dollars? Imagine losing those two dollars, and living every day without seeing one single dollar. Most people take advantage of the life they live, and are not appreciative of the possessions they are blessed to have. Some people wish they have a dollar to buy a loaf of bread or a can of beans to feed their families. This is the world that we are living in—A world that goes beyond our front porches, our neighborhoods, our jobs, our cities, and our country.

After researching the effects of poverty in preparation for Back to School with Sesame Street, I found that more than 100 million children in the world from ages 5 to 12 cannot attend school because of poverty. This information was as saddening as it was shocking. As I continued researching I came across Tallahassee’s poverty rates. One in four Tallahassee residents live below the poverty line.

CableCore United is passionate about giving back to the community. Assisting families in need and giving children the proper tools to attend school should be a priority in the community. Back to School with Sesame Street will aid the local children by giving them school supplies for the upcoming school year and educational entertainment. No one wants to go through their entire life living in poverty. When a child is guaranteed an education, it presents them with the same opportunities as their peers.

There are many children in the world living in poverty and without an education. By generating revenue and providing more jobs locally, our mission could venture out and possibly spread across the world. Why is poverty the next door neighbor to wealth and power? What are some things you could do in the community that would aid those in distress?

SavOurChildren

Caira Temple's blogspot "SavOurChildren," was a wonderful treat. The content and layout really captured the essence of the event being planned. The header for the blog site was the first element that caught my eye. It is a banner that displays four pictures of children in different scenes. Also, the background of the blog complemented the heading and body text. The content, specifically the 'Las Vegas' blog detailed an event that Caira attended. This event seemed to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for most, and I would have loved to have the chance to go to the grand opening of a nightclub in The Palms Hotel. If pictures were posted with this blog it would have made it more entertaining.

The Global Learning and Development Day Care (GLAD) will be hosting a grand opening for the center. The event will also fundraise to support the continuance of the Mary Brogan Museum, where the daycare will be located. The GLAD will introduce a more art based education system and foreign language in the day care business. I believe that this day care will be a symbolize the want for more in a day care system. People will crave more and promote education in child care facilities.

The grand opening of GLAD has much in comm0n with the Back to School Drive. Both events are in recognition of children, and both are promoting education. The Back to School Drive and the grand opening of GLAD could possibly work together in these events. GLAD could partner with the Back to School and offer special family deals to the participants that come out to the event and pass out literature about the company, or the children from the center could come and sing and receive school supplies.

Making a Difference

In communications, public relations professionals have the challenge of satisfying an organization as well as the public. Most PR professionals’ goal is to evoke a behavior change. This is why public relations is considered an advocacy. Advocacy is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, an idea, or policy.

Public relations professionals have the skills to impact the world. One way that this is implemented is through event planning. The Back to School Drive is one event that has the potential to make a difference in the community and possibly transpire across the world. The Back to School Drive will positively impact the hosting company, CableCore United, because it will increase their involvement in the community. The special event will allow CCU to set a positive company image. Also, the company will spread awareness and potential customers might take interest.

Through the success of this event we could broaden our client base at Starlight Strategic Communications. Showcasing our company’s skills will also present networking opportunities. Most importantly, we can learn from the event and broaden our knowledge.

The purpose of the Back to School Drive is to promote education and give back to the community. The distribution of school supplies will benefit the students because it gives them the necessary tools to do their best this upcoming school year. The students will also be encouraged by knowing that someone cares about their education. Promoting education and giving back locally could possibly serve as a mechanism for change on a global perspective. So many children in the world are denied an education because of poverty. With the proper coverage of this event, people could organize something similar in their community and make a difference.

The Wedding of Summer 2010

On June 4, 2010, I attended a wedding like no other. My cousin Jasmine married her high school sweet heart, Jimmie. The two are about 30 and have been together forever, so I did not expect anything less from their wedding. My cousin's wedding was culturally diversed; a perfect blend of her Korean and African-American heritage. The diversity of the wedding guests made the wedding a real treat. The wedding was held in Maryland at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. The background was the ocean and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which was a delightful scene. Jasmine’s dress was long and white with silver trimmings.

The wedding was strategically planned, and from a public relations standpoint it would have been rated a success. Not only were the bride and groom satisfied, but their guests were equally content. This event taught me that every single detail of an event is important. During the reception there wasn't a dull moment. The live band kept encouraged the guests to sing and dance. They did a wonderful job; especially the vocalist and the saxophonist.

Immediately after the couple married the guests were escorted to a cocktail room where they were served appetizers including lamb chops, fruit, caviar, and shrimp cocktail. Also, the guest enjoyed a drink or two of choice at the open bar. Jimmie and Jasmine took dance lessons and performed their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Grissette at the reception. The dance really displayed their commitment to one another, and the amount of thought they put into their wedding. Another aspect of the wedding that really grabbed my attention was the food, of course. Initially, salad was served. Afterward guests dined on lobster, shrimp, scallops, mashed potatoes and green beans.

Half-way through the reception the bride snuck away and reappeared in a Korean gown that was black, pink and green, it was beautiful and appropriate to showcase her Korean heritage during such an occasion. The decorations and the thank you-treats for the guests were thoroughly thought through as well. Jasmine and Jimmie’s wedding was the wedding of the summer.

Starlight Strategic Communications 2010

Starlight Strategic Communications is a Tallahassee-based public relations firm specializing in managing and counseling clients, while also allowing two-way communication. Our staff at SSC is a team of dedicated and experienced professionals who provide full-service to our customers. SSC develops planned programs that serve the clients as well as their respected clientele. The public relations practitioners at SSC are one of a kind. We strategize and create innovative approaches to solving matters such as crisis management situations, as well as event planning. The SSC staff is trained in social media techniques and are aware of the best means for reaching out to diverse audiences.

Each day we are eager to solve the next issue that is brought to our attention. Some of our areas of expertise include technology, media coverage and branding. While we use various techniques to attract our client’s publics, our ultimate goal is to promote a behavior change that in the end will guarantee the longevity of our clients and their companies.

CableCore United is a company that has recently solicited our services. CCU promotes quality and inexpensive cable, phone and internet services. The company is giving back to the community and looking to increase their number of consumers. The event they have asked us to plan is Back to School with Sesame Street, which is a live videotaping and school supply giveaway. This is an initiative to promote educational programming and supply children with their school supply needs for this upcoming school year. Back to School with Sesame Street is under way. Keep your eyes peeled for more, or follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/back2skooldrive.

Introducing Kwamae

Hi, I'm Kwamae S. Simpkins, a senior public relations student from Pensacola. I have loving family and friends who support me in everything I do, especially in furthering my education. So far, my encounters with the world of journalism, and specifically public relations, have been a great learning experience. I previously served as an editorial assistant for Journey magazine and also, as an opinions editor and health editor for The Famuan. Currently, I am interning with the Leon County Public Information Office, which has given me a more public relations experience. The internship and my introduction to public relations course has deepen my respect and love for communication.

The Public Relations Methods course is one of the most essential in preparing for a career in public relations. I am hoping to better my knowledge of the field, while also enhancing my writing skills. Particularly, I would like to learn the tools that are used to gain the media’s attention and attract target audiences.

During this course each student will work to create compose a media kit. Each week there will be different writing assignments about our fictitious event. Collectively these assignments will form the media kit. My event is Back to School with Sesame Street for the Tallahassee community. Starlight Strategic Communications’ seeks to assist CableCore United in giving back to the local children.