Inspiration meets real-world experience as students from BMCC created new promotions for the nonprofit, Educational Alliance.

BMCC Students who participated in the pilot design/work program at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) are: (from Left to right) Nathalie Eugene, Stephanie Erazo, Professor Claire Ultimo, Candice Shelbrack, Tedford Garbutt, Ranisha Robinson, Naomi Bonilla, Camila Ardila, Jennifer Chang of Educational Alliance, and Professor and program founder Janet Esquirol.

At Langton Creative Group we like to combine our passions for design and education so we couldn’t refuse when Prof. Janet Esquirol invited us to participate in this innovative program within the Media Arts and Technology department at BMCC. Over several weeks we art directed projects by seven college students who applied to this pilot program giving students paid real-world design experience. The BMCC students created new program promotions for the early childhood development programs that Educational Alliance (EA) runs for low-income families at six locations in the lower east side of Manhattan. “We matched the students—who want real design experience—with Educational Alliance, a nonprofit organization that really needs strong communication tools,” said David Langton, president of Langton Creative Group, who served as the creative director and client liaison.

The students interviewed the clients, Anya Hoerberger, Senior Vice President for External Engagement and Jennifer Chang, Director, Family Engagement and Enrollment at Educational Alliance. They learned that Educational Alliance runs one of the best Head Start programs in the area but needed better communication tools that tell their story, show the basic information in a visual manner for an audience where English was often their second language and, ultimately, build up enrollment rates.

Samples from the students work that shows the range of design solutions created to promote the early child care programs at Educational Alliance.

Creating work that matters

Students were inspired by the words of Daisy Paez, a parent, who benefitted from the early child care programs at EA, “I enrolled my daughter in the daycare here and from that moment on my life changed." In the end, two designs were chosen and will be printed in the Fall. Jennifer Chang, Director, Family Engagement and Enrollment at Educational Alliance summed it up, “The students did a great job of analyzing our communication desires and needs and created designs that were creative and will resonate with the families in our neighborhood. I’m excited to start using the promotional materials.”