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Millersville University students will have the opportunity to participate in three rounds of competition as part of the America250PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge. Students will learn how to create an integrated marketing campaign strategy, and their ideas will be transformed into viable campaigns for the America250PA launch—a six-year, statewide celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.
“We will honor our country’s founders by inviting students from across the state to come together and share their ideas about how our state can educate, preserve, inspire and celebrate Pennsylvania’s proud traditions with every citizen,” said Governor Tom Wolf.
Currently, Millersville has 11 students participating in the competition, which will begin on Saturday, Oct. 5 with the Campus Round, where students develop initial concepts. From there the top Millersville team will go on to the Regional Round. If they do well, they could end up at the State Final in front of Governor Wolf and other officials from the United States Postal Service will take place on Nov. 19.
Millersville’s team is being led by Dr. Robyn Lily Davis, associate professor of history and graduate coordinator, and Nancy Mata, associate professor and director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.
Davis says there are many benefits to our students through participation in this program including the opportunity for internships, potential job placement and collaboration with other students from multiple disciplines.
“Our students will have exposure to a wealth of academic, business, community and government leaders across Pennsylvania,” says Davis. “They will experience a design thinking environment to develop innovation and creativity skills while building their resume.”
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for students from different disciplines to come together and work on a single concept,” Mata adds.
Each round of the competition provides students with exciting, progressive learning opportunities, taking them from idea to concept to a polished pitch. The America250PA Commission will receive all of the concepts student teams generate in the first round of the challenge to fuel the America250PA effort–with the help of students–over the next six years.
“There is a historical significance in being part of a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation project that spans the entire Commonwealth,” says Davis.
The America250PA Innovation Challenge is a collaborative effort between the America250PA Commission, the Administration of Governor Tom Wolf, Wilkes-Barre Connect, and marketing industry leaders.
For more information visit www.america250pa.org/.
