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CreateAthon onCampus

» College of Humanities and Sciences

CreateAthon onCampus is a program designed to provide a unique service-learning experience to students at VCU and around the country, based on RIGGS’ professional CreateAthon program. Under the leadership of Peyton Rowe, CreateAthon onCampus director, students put their marketing and communications skills to use for Richmond-area nonprofit organizations that cannot afford to hire an advertising agency. 

In the fall semester, individual students earn credit for developing promotional materials, soliciting applications from area nonprofits, reviewing and selecting nonprofit recipients, developing sponsorship strategies, and recruiting student volunteers. In the spring, a class is offered for the team leaders of CreateAthon onCampus who have the opportunity to meet with the nonprofit organizations, develop creative briefs and strategy, and learn about issues specific to nonprofit communication projects.

The program culminates in a 24-hour creative event held during spring break where the students in the class, student volunteers and professional mentors create advertising and marketing materials for the selected recipients. Following the 24-hour blitz, students have the opportunity to guide the work through production, partnering with local vendors to produce the work at no cost to the deserving organizations. All work is presented at a celebratory reception in April.

Last year, the pilot CreateAthon onCampus program had 43 student volunteers and18 professional mentors who served 12 Richmond nonprofits, generated 75 projects, 35 printed deliverables, all of which are worth a value of $133,780. Participating nonprofits included:

  • Richmond Friends of the Homeless
  • Offender Aid and Restoration of Richmond
  • The Faces of HOPE
  • Coordinators2inc
  • Twin Saddles Therapeutic Riding
  • Richmond Affiliate, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
  • Lifelong Learning Institute
  • Chesterfield Virginia Council for Economic Education
  • Jackson-Field Home for Girls
  • Connect Richmond
  • The James House
  • The United Virginia Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation

Get involved

To support this program or get involved as a volunteer, contact Peyton Rowe at prowe@vcu.edu.