The PR team collaborated with Professor Smith to promote the 5th annual School Environmental Action Showcase at Mason. Over 500 K-12 students attended to showcase eco-projects, compete in contests, and network. The team drafted press releases, gained social media access, arranged photography/videography, and coordinated logistics. Press coverage was limited despite outreach. For future events, more persistent media outreach and earlier social media access is recommended. The event promoted environmental problem-solving among youth.

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CONTACT
MorganNoble, mnoble3@gmu.edu
Madeline Otten, motten2@gmu.edu
Sasha Kline, s.kline95@gmail.com
Hailey Heyliger, hheylige@gmu.edu
Erin Garay, egaray@gmu.edu
Table of Contents (MO)
About the event………………………………………………………………..……..pg 2
About the client………………………………………………………………..….….pg 3
Public Relations Strategy..………………………………………………..……….…pg 4
Sponsors……………………………………………………………..…………….....pg 5
Feature Tactics ………………………………………………………………….........pg 6
Social Media………………………………………………………………………….pg 8
Event Features…………………………………………………………………..…….pg 10
Event Flyer…………………………………………………………………......……..pg 11
News Releases and Website Coverage……………………………………………....pg 14
Campaign Outcome…………………………………………………………………..pg 24

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About the Event
● Fifth Annual School Environmental Action Showcase (SEAS)
● Celebrated environmentally minded youth in our schools and communities
● K-12 students used STEM concepts to develop action plans solving environmental
problems such as reducing waste, conserving energy cleaning watersheds.
● Jointly hosted by George Mason University, Earth Force, and NoVA Outside
● 1000+ guests, 50+ schools, 20+ partner organizations

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About the Client
Professor Cindy Smith
● George Mason University SEAS Organizer
● Holds a PhD in Environmental Science &
Policy from George Mason University
● K-12 Education Director for Potomac
Environmental Research and Education Center
(PEREC)
● PEREC’s mission focuses on the Potomac River restoration and local sustainability
projects, so that the local ecosystems can improve and become healthier.
Public Relations Strategy

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● Goals:
○ Establish School Environmental Action Showcase (SEAS) as a distinct and
newsworthy event among the Mason and Fairfax community
○ Showcase this event to the regional community
○ Increase press and media coverage
● Objectives:
○ Introduce and create awareness of:
■ SEAS as an uplifting event and opportunity and one that students and staff
look forward to attending for years to come
■ Generate, track, and increase traffic to the SEAS event
■ High school student interest in attending Mason
● Tactics:
○ Traditional and social media outlets:
■ WGMU
■ Mason Cable
■ Fourth Estate
■ The Patch
■ Local television affiliates (NBC, Fox, etc.)
○ Other local news outlets that welcome news releases
● Attendance:
○ Mason Ambassadors, especially those who are associated with the science
department to escort youth to Planetary, Exploratory, and Engineering halls.
○ Worked with Stephanie Paraja (sparaja@masonlive.gmu.edu) to gather volunteers
from organizations on campus.
■ Volunteers wore Mason shirt or event shirt worn by staff hosting the event
● Students:
○ Mason students went to Lanier Middle School to offer feedback to youth on
public speaking
○ Created a more exciting opening ceremony by involving those high profile
students on campus
■ Assisted in bringing Sharon Dorsey, a Mason track and field star who is
also an Environmental Science major
■ Students recognized for outstanding achievements in the science
department
Sponsors

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○ George Mason University
○ Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center
○ NoVA Outside
○ JMU Center for Wind Energy
○ 4VA
○ Agrium
○ Ernst & Young
○ Fairfax County Federation of Teachers
○ Virginia Resource-Use Educational Council
○ Earth Force
○ Dominion

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Feature Tactics
Strategy: Judged the students from Lanier Middle School on their Caring for the Watersheds
presentation.
Tactic – Provided honest and constructive criticisms to the five groups from Lanier Middle
School
● Used our public speaking to provide feedback and advice to the students participating
○ Found 5 volunteers from 2:30 – 4:30
■
Wednesday - Hailey, Morgan, Leigh Yeatts, Cynthia
■ Thursday – Hailey, Morgan, Gemma Pearson, Emily Jackson, Erin Garay
Pictured are Mrs. Alms 7th and 8th graders that composed the 5 different proposal team.

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Results from the Caring for the Watersheds Competition
Result: Lanier Middle School had winners in the top 10. 3rd Place Winners pictured above.
Their teams were awarded a total of $3,000 dollars to implement their proposals; including 1st
prize went to one of the five teams, pictured below.

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Social Media
● Media the day of:
○ Used connections that we had with Mason Cable to cover the event for
photography and video
○ Posted tweets and Instagram posts of all aspects of the event
■ #NoVASEAS2016
■ Tweets to get students excited
■ Tweets of students projects
■ Videos of Care for the Watersheds presentations
■ Videos of the KidWind Challenge
■ Pictures of the Tesla outside of the event
■ Pictures/Videos of students interacting with each other
■ Pictures of students with Ranger Rick

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Event Features
Caring for Our Watersheds is a competition between sixth and eighth grade students from
Virginia to design solutions to improve the local watershed, which is an area of ridge of land that
separates water flowing to different rivers or seas. The competition is judged by a panel of
judges that are looking for potential within the community, a realistic budget, a usable solution,
and visuals. With first place earning a total of $1,000 and tenth place earning $300, each school
is able to take money home and implement their solutions into action. For more information
about the event, check out: http://caringforourwatersheds.com
The KidWind Project displayed wind
turbines, which has a wheel rotated by
the wind to create energy, created by
middle and high school students that
explored wind energy through this hands
on activity. Joined with James Madison
University’s Virginia Centers for Wind
Energy, students prepared for months to
build turbines ranging from plastic to
wood, which were then placed in the
testing station to see the total amount of
energy created. To learn more about this
project nationally, please visit
http://www.kidwindchallenge.org for more information.
Video Vision was this year’s eco-art event that allowed students within Alexandria City,
Arlington County, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Loudoun County, and Prince William
County, to make a one minute short video to display their vision of a greener environment and
how they are making it a reality. All videos were displayed inside the Center for the Arts.

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The high school STEM track program
gave high school students the opportunity to
explore George Mason’s campus. Students
formed around Exploratory and Research
Hall and networked with professors, other
high school students, and met with a panel
of Mason alumni to ask questions about
their classes and activities

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Event Flyer

15. 14

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Our News Releases
To achieve our goal of promoting the School Environmental Action Showcase in the
community; we contacted local media outlets. We wanted leaders of the George Mason
community to be aware of the distinctiveness of SEAS. We reached out to media outlets with
press releases and media alerts.
We wrote two press releases: one catered to local newspapers and television stations, and
the other written for Mason’s Fourth Estate and WGMU Radio. The Mason targeted news
release highlighted the relationship between George Mason’s Communication and
Environmental Science Departments.
Our traditional press release focused on the importance of environmentally conscious
youth coming together to share sustainable eco-projects for the betterment of their communities.
Along with an email introducing and summarizing the event, the press release was sent to local
NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX affiliates. For newspaper coverage we focused specifically on
reaching out to reporters from the Kids’ Post section of The Washington Post.
Science communication graduate student Roger LeBlanc wrote a post release for SEAS.
His release will be published on the Mason communication department and the Patch online
newspaper.

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Website Coverage

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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
For information, contact:
Sasha Kline
George Mason University
skline4@gmu.edu
Mason to Host School Environmental Action Showcase
Environmentally Minded Youth Convene in Fairfax for Networking
and Eco-Project Competition
FAIRFAX, Va. (March 19, 2016) – The fifth annual School Environmental Action Showcase
(SEAS) brings together local elementary through high school students for a day of environmental problem
solving, eco-project sharing and competition. Sponsored by NoVA Outside and Mason’s Potomac
Environmental Research and Education Center, the event features over 500 youth from around the region.
Student teams display community eco-projects and compete for funding to further develop and implement
wind energy and watershed protection projects.
The event takes place Wednesday, April 6 in George Mason University’s Center for the Arts on
the Fairfax campus.
The event is a one of a kind experience. Mason Environmental Science and Policy Professor
Cynthia Smith says that the day’s importance stems from its uniqueness. “This is so much more than just
a science fair,” she explains, “SEAS is about showcasing the youth voice in solving environmental
problems and implementing these solutions.” In addition to being a day dedicated to environmental
sustainability; the showcase is a distinctive collaboration between Mason’s science and communication
faculties.

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Professor Smith works alongside Professor Katherine Rowan, director of Mason’s science
communication graduate program, and her advanced public relations students to create this experience.
She says,“What impresses me about this event is the enthusiasm of the youth participating and the Mason
public relations students who support this event by working on its coordination and promotion.”
“I also like collaborating with Professor Smith,” Rowan said. “My students and I learn a lot about
science at SEAS, we enjoy alerting the community to the projects youth create. Photos of hundreds of
savvy local science students are fun to share.”
Contests include the Caring for Our Watersheds competition, sponsored by Agrium and Earth
Force; prize money won will go towards implementing proposed solutions in their community. James
Madison University’s Center for Wind Energy will sponsor the KidWind Challenge, with Dominion; it
challenges students’ ability to generate power with their uniquely constructed wind turbines and respond
to a panel of industry experts. The generalshowcase gives students to refine their ideas of what it is to be
environmentally conscious and to truly make a difference in their communities.
The event will be attended by George Mason Provost David Wu and will feature a notable
member of the Mason science community as the keynote speaker. More information about SEAS can be
found at NoVA Outside’s website: novaoutside.org/events.

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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
For information, contact:
Sasha Kline
George Mason University
skline4@gmu.edu
Environmentally Minded Youth Convene for a Day of Networking, Eco-Project
Competition at School Environmental Action Showcase
FAIRFAX, Va. (March 2016) – The fifth annual School Environmental Action Showcase (SEAS)
brings together local elementary through high school students for a day of environmental problem
solving, eco-project sharing and competition. Sponsored by NoVA Outside and Mason’s Potomac
Environmental Research and Education Center, the event features over 500 youth from around the region.
Student teams display community eco-projects and compete for funding to further develop and implement
wind energy and watershed protection projects.
The event takes place Wednesday, April 6 in George Mason University’s Center for the Arts on
the Fairfax campus.
The event is a one of a kind experience. Environmental Science and Policy Professor Cynthia
Smith says that the day’s importance stems from its uniqueness. “This is so much more than just a science
fair,” she explains, “SEAS is about showcasing the youth voice in solving environmental problems and
implementing these solutions.”
Contests include the Caring for Our Watersheds competition, sponsored by Agrium and
Earth Force; prize money won will go towards implementing proposed solutions in their community. The
KidWind Challenge, sponsored by James Madison University’s Center for Wind Energy and Dominion,
challenges students’ ability to generate power with their uniquely constructed wind turbines and respond
to a panel of industry experts. The generalshowcase gives students the opportunity to network and

24. 23
discuss environmental problems and sustainable solutions, while sharing their findings with each other.
The day is for the students to refine their ideas of what it is to be environmentally conscious and to truly
make a difference in their communities.
Katherine Rowan,director of the science communication graduate program at Mason says, “What
impresses me about this event is the enthusiasm of the youth participating and the Mason public relations
students who support this event by working on its coordination and promotion.”
“I also like collaborating with Professor Smith,” Rowan said. “My students and I learn a lot about
science at SEAS, and we enjoy alerting the community to the projects youth create. Photos of hundreds of
savvy local science students are fun to share.”
School and eco-partner registration closed March 18. Volunteer and sponsor registration is
ongoing. More information about SEAS can be found on the NoVA Outside at novaoutside.org/events
####

25. 24
News Release (M)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Madeline Otten 434-962-7122
Communication students collaborate with School Environmental Action Showcase (SEAS)
Mason welcomes regional area science K-12 students
FAIRFAX, VA. (April 19, 2016) – On April 6, for the fifth annual showcase, over five hundred
local environmentally minded elementary through high school students came together with local
non-profit organizations and George Mason University students to network and share eco-
projects, compete in wind turbine building events and compete for funding to implement
watershed solutions.
As a part of an advance public relations course,
taught by Kathy Rowan, Morgan Noble was given the
title account supervisor, where she oversaw the team and
made sure they performed the tasks needed for the client,
Cynthia Smith. Noble also was the main point of contact
for Smith and made sure her team got everything done in
a timely manner.
As for the media relations manager, Sasha Kline
devised press releases that were sent out to local news
stations in order to perform the request of getting as much media coverage as possible. On the
day of the event, Kline communicated with Roger Leblanc, a GMU graduate student, on the post
release and the necessary items needed.
Madeline Otten and Erin Garay worked alongside one another as public relations
coordinators and took daily conference calls on Mondays to update the team on what had been
discussed and any information that the team needs to tackle from Smith and her team. They also
took on tasks such as emailing VIP’s and confirming their arrival as well as contacting
photographers to take pictures for the event.
The final member is Hailey Heyliger who was the social media manager where she and
Smith’s team member Josh Stickles worked together to gain access to the Twitter, Facebook, and
Instagram accounts of the nonprofit organization, Northern Virginia (NoVA) Outside, and spread
the word and awareness of the event the day of to the students, news stations, and any local
organizations.

26. 25
Overall the event went very well and Smith complemented the group and said, “this year
was the best one yet.” This event was a unique and newsworthy event among the Mason and
Fairfax community since it promoted youth voice in solving environmental problems.
More information about the event, please contact Smith at csmitc@gmu.edu or
motten2@masonlive.gmu.edu.
###

27. 26
Event Pictures
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8uf4NZqKGIlcWtHLVFvTUszLUk
https://www.dropbox.com/home/SEAS2016potos/SEAS%20via%20Erin%20Garay

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Event Outcomes
Successes: Our efforts created an important foundation for increased future success through
strengthening relationships between the key stakeholders, the university, and the client.
 Social Media:
o Main social media outlets: Instagram and Twitter
 Press releases:
o Created press packets for day of coverage.
o Drafted post releases to be on the communication/science websites about keynote
speaker.
 Patch.com coverage written by Dr.Rowan’s graduate student, Roger
LeBlanc.
 Event Photography:
o Provided to client via Dropbox album.
 Student/Competition photos
 High School Students STEM track program
 KidWind Challenge/ Caring for the Watersheds proposals
 Event Videography:
o Provided per client’s request via GMU Starlab resources.
 Overall footage of the event
 Participant interviews
 Coverage of Caring for the Watershed/KidWind competition
Challenges: Despite our best efforts, we were unable to significantly increase press coverage of
the event due to untimely or unsuccessful coordination. Our team recommends for future teams
to:
 Persistent outreach to the media.
o The media is not obligated to inform team members if they will show up or not,
so persistence is helpful to ensure their attendance.
o Be sure to target meteorologists at local stations, they are more likely to be
enthusiastic about attendance.
 Provide them with photo and story information plenty in advance.
 Difficult to acquire social media login information.
o Account holders were very hesitant to give out Instagram or Twitter login.
o Work with the PR coordinator from Dr. Smith’s class. It’s important to not solely
rely on them to retrieve account info.
 If they are unsuccessful, reach out to Kurt or Cindy immediately at start of
project to get the ball rolling on social media pre-launch.
o Did not receive account login info until the day of event. Led to excessive posts
on both accounts and only one day to gather an increase in followers.
 Videography:
o Schedule specific time to accomplish certain film tasks.
 I.e. time to on-camera interview GMU EVPP students to aid their final
projects, clients, partners, and students

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