SJMC students gain real-world experience supporting Haiti relief efforts

As news of Haiti’s earthquake spread, FIU students began employing the skills they’ve learned in class to help those in need.

In January, students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) started volunteering as members of an emergency task force established under the auspices of the Haitian Consulate in Miami. Since then, they’ve continued to assist with the management of the Haiti relief efforts in South Florida.

Lourdes Diaz, president of InHaus Marketing Group and a current SJMC student, is responsible for the task force’s formation and the school’s involvement. Diaz formed the group right after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12. SJMC assistant professor Maria Elena Villar serves as the team’s coordinating liaison between the students and the consulate.

Nadia Dawood, a graduate student in SJMC’s Global Strategic Communications program, and Lorene Bauduy, an SJMC advertising senior

“The main goal of the students’ participation is to create a streamlined communications channel between the consul and the community,” Villar said. After helping the group identify tasks that are most beneficial to the consulate, Villar helped recruit several students with needed skills to volunteer their time.

Nadia Dawood, a graduate student in SJMC’s Global Strategic Communications program, started volunteering in the task force after learning about their need for organized communication. Before the earthquake hit Haiti, the Haitian Consulate in Miami dealt mostly with immigration issues. After the disaster occurred, the small building located near downtown became swamped by hundreds of phone calls from concerned Miami residents – some offering help to the Haitian community, others in panic wondering about the whereabouts of their family and friends in Haiti.

“By staying informed and communicating through the various channels available, we can send and receive messages efficiently, maintaining a sense of organization,” Dawood said. She is just one of many students helping the consulate maintain organization with the communication strategies learned at SJMC.

Catherine Kaiman, a senior journalism major, is using her writing skills to help the consulate. She is part of the volunteer media group writing press releases to keep the media informed of ongoing relief efforts.

“While donating food and money is great, I feel that donating my time and skills is equally – if not more – important,” Kaiman said.

Liz Stams, an FIU graduate student studying public relations and advertising, didn’t hesitate to volunteer.

“Being from the Hawaiian Islands, I can relate to the feeling of chaos and heartbreak when unexpected disasters occur,” she said. “I got involved to help people in a time of need, and I have received hands-on experience in working with a team and contributing where I can.”

Other students in the media group are helping by maintaining a media list, updating website content, answering phone calls and translating French content into Haitian-Creole and English.

Some of the student volunteers, including Lorene Baudy, a Haiti native, are also involved in developing a pilot “digital story-telling” program that uses Flip cameras and blogs to document life after the earthquake both in Haiti and the Haitian community in Miami.  The initial themes are  “returning to education” and “perceptions of media coverage of the earthquake aftermath.”  The first postings will be made after Spring Break.