PROJECT DREAM 2.0 REAL WORLD LEARNING FOR KDU STUDENTS IN ORGANISING CHARITY CAMPAIGN

SHAH ALAM, 29 OCTOBER 2015 – It is not uncommon for the School of Communication and Creative Arts (SCCA) at KDU University College to train its students and hone their communication skills and professionalism through numerous events, as these provide a training ground for students to hit the ground running especially when they enter into challenging career paths.

One such event is the Project Dream 2.0, a charitable-based project with a series of activities and events that took place in July and August. It provided a good platform for KDU students to apply what they have learnt into real-life scenarios, as well as gain experiences which proved to be valuable.

“We pride ourselves in creating graduates with seamless transition to their workplace. As such, these public events will push them to step out of their comfort zone and experience a glimpse of the corporate world beyond the university’s wall,” said Timothy Chan Liem Joe, a lecturer from the Communication and Media Studies Department, SCCA, whose students were the organising team behind Project Dream 2.0.

According to Chan, throughout all events organised by SCCA, there will always be some charitable linkage, which enable students to learn the importance of social responsibility and contribute to the community. “In the process of learning, students could contribute to the community around us at the same time,” he said.

Supported by the main sponsor EV Dynamic and other corporations, the SCCA students from the Diploma in Mass Communication’s Principles of Public Relation and Principles of Advertising classes presented Project Dream 2.0 to raise funds for MERCY Malaysia’s General Relief Fund, primarily a reserve fund that is utilised during crisis such as the Nepal earthquake, Kelantan flood and so on. 

MERCY Malaysia, which stands for Medical Relief Society Malaysia (MERCY), is a non-profit organisation focusing on providing medical relief, sustainable health related development and risk reduction activities for vulnerable communities in both crisis and non-crisis situations. As a non-profit organisation, MERCY Malaysia relies solely on funding and donations from organisations and generous individuals to continue their services to provide humanitarian assistance to beneficiaries, both in Malaysia and abroad.

Project Dream 2.0 consisted of three main components: the Seringgit Sehari campaign, where donors pledged a donation of at least RM1 a day; the Charity Bazaar and My MERCY Run.

In the run up to the Charity Baazar, which was held in Publika, the SCCA students did a fabulous job in running 20 different roadshows around Klang Valley as well as in the institution’s Utropolis Glenmarie campus to raise awareness. The Charity Bazaar itself saw a plethora of fun activities, which included performances, carnival games, food, fashion, sand art, body painting and even a bouncing castle. As a result, the students managed to attract a crowd from all age groups.

The My MERCY Run, which raised funds through sign-ups, saw more than a thousand participants running for a good cause in the hour-long run held at Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur.

“In this project, the organising students were involved in every single aspect - from proposing, planning, running a public event, within a span of 12 weeks. They had to approach sponsors, plan for the logistics and also manage the funds provided by the university and sponsors. In addition, their problem-solving skills were also tested as they were expected to resolve issues on their own, or through negotiation and critical thinking,” explained Chan. “For every project run, students are expected to perform professionally and follow proper corporate procedures,” he added.

Besides working on every details while keeping within the campaign budget and with limited resources, the students were able to maximise their goals and at the same time, boost up their self confidence in communicating with clients, sponsors and patrons in a professional manner.

“Through communication with clients and sponsors, students would be able to learn and exercise what has been taught in class, in dealing with corporate clients and the process of negotiation and client servicing,” Chan further elaborated.

The students also seized the opportunity to showcase their professional skills in creating a video for MERCY Malaysia’s humanitarian works for the Kelantan flood victims and the Nepal earthquake, as well as producing a documentary of their team’s journey from the stage of preparation up to execution.

Ultimately, through this project, the students successfully raised a total sum of close to RM22,500 for MERCY Malaysia. The funds were proudly presented by KDU’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hon Wei Min, to Ms Megawati Md Rashidi, General Manager of MERCY Malaysia.

To find out how you can hit the ground running with KDU, log on to www.kdu.edu.my or call 03-5565 0538 (KDU University College, Utropolis, Glenmarie) / 03-7953 6688 (KDU College, Damansara Jaya).