This year’s Great Give is rapidly approaching! FSU’s Great Give will kick off at midnight on Wednesday, March 6, and will continue for the next 24 hours. FSU’s Great Give is a university-wide day of giving that supports our exemplary students, faculty, and groups across campus.

We encourage you to consider making an online donation to support the great work happening at the College of Communication & Information and help us reach our college goal of $75,036. Read on to learn about each of the 10 CCI projects that this initiative will support!

STARS – Student Leadership Corps
STARS (Students & Technology in Academia, Research, & Service) is an alliance of dedicated and engaged young student leaders who work with the K-12 community and on campus to increase the participation of the individuals in IT/computing disciplines. FSU STARS has won numerous awards for its efforts both locally and across the state. FSU STARS students have promoted FSU and CCI at various schools in Tallahassee, Tampa, Ft. Myers, Sebring, Bradenton, Orlando, Melbourne, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Panama City, and Marianna. You can help Florida State and STARS reach more students and promote our programs around the state with your donations. As we travel and engage schools, employers, and individuals, we need your help in getting out in the community and across the state.

Arrowhead Advertising

Arrowhead Advertising is a team of about 20 FSU undergraduate students who compete in the American Advertising Federation’s annual National Student Advertising Competition. These students spend the year preparing an advertising/marketing/media campaign for the competition’s lead sponsor. Each spring, the team pitches the campaign to a panel of industry judges at a three-phase national competition with nearly 150 colleges and universities. Support the current and future students of FSU’s Arrowhead Advertising team as they prepare for and compete in this upcoming competition. The cost to send students to the competition is $6,000.

Voices of Tomorrow: FSU Speech & Debate Society
The Intercollegiate Debate program has a rich history over 100 years at FSU and has seen consistent competitive success and academic achievement. The FSU debate and speech teams provide students with countless opportunities to develop skills in public speaking, leadership, critical thinking, time management, and advanced writing and research. The program has consistently received top Florida program rankings at all state, regional and national competitions. Participants have testified that the skills they have learned have helped them become better lawyers, teachers, clergy, business people, and leaders in many fields. Your donations will enable them to host enriching student workshops, cover travel expenses to national tournaments, and ensure active participation in campus events and various team-related activities.

WVFS Tallahassee 89.7FM
WVFS Tallahassee 89.7FM, the Voice of Florida State (aka V89), is broadcasting from the heart of FSU. Staffed by 200 hardworking volunteers from every corner of campus, V89 plays spontaneous, diverse, high quality radio programming while serving as a topnotch training facility, offering students hands-on, real-world experience, academic opportunities, and professional development in all facets of radio operations, including News, Sports, Announcing, Production, Continuity, Development, Public Relations, Social Media Marketing, and Live Studio Recording. College radio remains an important educational opportunity for all students, especially Communication majors, and—for more than 36 years—V89 has afforded thousands exciting learning opportunities while serving as a premiere, internationally recognized, independent radio station. Your kind support will help maintain round-the-clock broadcast, manage emergency needs, support professional development opportunities for students, and upgrade operations, equipment, and facilities including our ongoing efforts to digitize the station’s rare music catalog and put the finishing touches on our new podcasting studio.

School of Communication Student Excellence Fund
Undergraduate students in the School of Communication conduct meaningful, cutting-edge research that explores issues that affect all of us, including media production, industry practices, regulation, effects of different types of media content on individuals and society, historical events in media and communication, uses and effects of emerging media technology and social media, and documentaries that address subjects that have social, global, political, and/or economic implications. Our students examine the consequences of all these activities for society and communication practices in marketing, public relations, advertising, and policy. Your support will allow us to help fund these important and influential projects that help us understand the human condition and provide additional opportunities for students to excel.

Recruit The Best and Brightest Doctoral Students
The Communication Theory and Research doctoral program at Florida State University offers students the training, facilities, and mentorship necessary to become independent and original scholars. Graduates of the program give back to the academy and related industries by taking positions at research-based institutions within the communication discipline, consultancies, not-for-profit organizations, and governmental agencies. Our students are working alongside our world-renowned faculty in multiple areas of significance, including communication for social justice and change, persuasive health and environmental messaging, multicultural communication and marketing, critical cultural and rhetorical studies, entertainment and positive media psychology, and new media technology. Your support will help ensure the School can recruit and fund doctoral students eager to contribute to the scholarly work for which the School of Communication is known and respected.

Seminole Productions Excellence Fund
Since 1987, Seminole Productions has been the premier video production source at Florida State University. Seminole Productions was established as a professional video production company with a focus on providing opportunities for students to learn from industry professionals while receiving training and hands-on experience opportunities. Seminole Productions has been recognized as an industry leader in its college sports programming. It was one of the first programs of its kind and has inspired universities throughout with its forward thinking and innovation. This unique company allows students to earn college credit while working on professional televised sports productions. Seminole Productions’ broadcasts can often be found on the ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, and the SEC Network. Seminole Production also provides in-venue game day presentations at all of FSU’s sports venues and supports major FSU and partner events including concerts, graduation, and Homecoming Live. Donations will help support hands-on industry experience, training, equipment, and general departmental funding priorities.

The Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
Founded 20 years ago, the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication (CHMC) at Florida State University is the first of its kind in the U.S. Faculty and students at the Center are conducting groundbreaking research in the field of Hispanic/multicultural marketing communication, serving as a resource for the Hispanic and multicultural marketing industry and equipping students with cutting edge knowledge. The dynamic growth of the U.S. Hispanic market leaves the industry in constant need of trained professionals. CHMC focuses on educating students to conduct relevant research on the Hispanic and Multicultural markets, training students to utilize the most recent technologies and trends, and serving as a source of knowledge about the Hispanic and Multicultural Market for Industry professionals. Your generosity will provide funding opportunities to recruit excellent students, host leading professionals and scholars, conduct research, provide experiential learning opportunities, and more.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing/American Sign Language Educational Outreach Program
FSU’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing/American Sign Language Educational Outreach Program provides undergraduate students with valuable preclinical experiences while supporting the needs of the community. Since its inception in 2018, the DHH/ASL Outreach Program has provided local and statewide presentations as well as sign language support in various community settings. The program is directed by Drs. Kristen and Casey Guynes, who specialize in d/Deaf education and American Sign Language. All services are provided at no cost to families or community recipients.

Your gift will support the needs of Deaf and hard of hearing children, and their families, in our community. Specifically, we are prioritizing the purchase of educational materials to support our language and literacy tutoring services, as well as ASL curriculum resources to provide an upcoming sign language class for family members of DHH children.

Communication & Information Students
This funding will help the College of Communication and Information support its various co-curricular activities; engage with employers; honor important milestones for our students, alumni, faculty, and staff; reach out to our community, and support professional development for our students