Seniors in the public relations major are required to take PR 4501: Public Relations Capstone. In this course, students team up to support a client by developing a strategic communication plan to achieve a designated goal. Three of the five projects in this semester's section tie back to America’s semiquincentennial, whether directly or indirectly.

This semester, students worked on campaigns for Visit Philadelphia, the Temple University Career Center, the Temple University Community Gateway and two entities under the Philadelphia Visitor Center: Philadelphia250 and Phambassadors.

During the semester, the students held meetings with their clients to receive feedback and collaborate on the ongoing project.

The Visit Philadelphia team set out to understand why local college students are not staying in Philadelphia after graduation and develop a program that encourages them to remain in the city. After conducting research, one idea proposed Visit Philadelphia ‘touring’ to local colleges to highlight what Philadelphia has to offer post-graduation.

“Capstone was a great real-world experience in the classroom,” senior public relations major Evelina Orgodniczuk said. “Especially guided by Adam Dvorin, we were able to create a truly engaging campaign for our client, Visit Philadelphia.” 

The Temple Career Center team focused on creating visibility and awareness of the Center’s services. Their recommendations included promoting the Center’s location, enhancing the use and visibility of their Handshake and strengthening their communication efforts with current university students.  

The Temple University Community Gateway team worked to connect the Temple community to the Gateway. Their ideas included partnering with Temple student clubs and organizations, building a strong social media presence and revamping Gateway’s website.  

The Philadelphia250 team centered its campaign around strengthening online community engagement through social media. To reach its target audience of Philadelphia residents between the ages of 20 and 30, the team developed an influencer marketing strategy to attract both residents and tourists interested in events.

“I really enjoyed working with Philadelphia250 on this project,” said senior public relations major Elena Erdley. “My classmates and I did extensive research and brainstorming to determine how we wanted to approach it, balancing our own ideas with what we’ve learned in the classroom.” 

Finally, the Phambassadors team focused on repaving their social media strategy to increase community engagement. To address challenges with brand awareness, the team recommends collaborating with local colleges and their students, partnerships with Philadelphia-based influencers and, lastly, highlighting a recognizable “face” of the program. 

“One of the best parts of the Capstone class is seeing students apply the things they have learned throughout their academic career to a real-life situation and with an actual client from the community,” said Adam Dvorin, adjunct professor. “It is particularly rewarding when students begin by setting objectives, then supporting those objectives with strategies and tactics. And when clients buy into the plan and become excited by the recommendations, it is a truly magical thing to see.”