VANCOUVER In a move to promote Clark County as a good place to do business or make a career, WSU Vancouver Digital Technology and Culture (DTC) students launched a website today, “Living in Southwest Washington,” describing what the area offers individuals and families.
The project, commissioned by civic leader Ed Lynch, was designed with two audiences in mind: employers exploring Southwest Washington as a good place to move or start a business and individuals contemplating a careerbased relocation.
“Selecting WSU Vancouver students to develop our new website supports workforce development,” said Lynch. “The real-world projects that students work on will make them even more valuable to local employers.” The DTC program requires senior seminar students to create a digital technology project for a community-based nonprofit organization.
Students completed the conceptualization, design, copy writing and coding for the site. Each of the students involved graduated in May: Tayler Black, Ryan Hicks, Emily Jones, Jeff Schafer and Bryce Van Hoosen. Lynch hired Gregg Harrington, a former Columbian and Associated Press editor, reporter and columnist, as the content manager for the project. Freelance photographer Ed Vidinghoff was hired to take pictures for the site.
“These projects benefit our students on several levels,” said DTC Program Director, Dene Grigar.” They gain hands-on experience and learn to work as a team to meet an organization’s goals. They will have a project for their portfolios when they go out to look for a job. And they walk away knowing that they have done something especially good for the community.”
