Experiential / Reality-based Learning / January 5, 2015

Smith Consulting Fellows to Join Jersey Shore Restoration Effort

Smith Consulting Fellows to Join Jersey Shore Restoration Effort

A team of students in the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business will serve as consultants for a call-to-action campaign as part of continuing efforts to restore New Jersey shore communities still affected by Superstorm Sandy.

Smith School undergraduates, representing the new Smith Consulting Fellows program, will collaborate with Maryland-based Humanity TV Inc. to develop a social media strategy to promote the nonprofit group’s Jersey Shore Volunteer Challenge to 18-25-year-olds.

The project will begin this month. The challenge’s objective is to draw individuals to a new facility in Wall, New Jersey that houses volunteers for ongoing rebuilding and repair of storm-damaged property.

New Jersey absorbed $30 billion in damage from the storm that struck the Northeast more than two years ago. About 82,000 primary residences were damaged or destroyed. The Asbury Park Press reports Union Beach in Monmouth County – a focal point of the Smith students’ effort – is just “50 percent recovered” in terms of property restoration.

Changetheworld.org, which operates through Smith’s Center for Social Value Creation, is facilitating the Consulting Fellows-Humanity TV collaboration.

“This project aligns with the Consulting Fellows mission for Smith students to apply business and communication skills to solve real-world problems,” said Undergraduate Program Associate Director Emily Heavin, who designed this Fellows program. She will select and advise a 4-to-5-member Smith team from 18 Consulting Fellows studying at the Shady Grove campus.

About Changetheworld.org
ChangeTheWorld.org provides pro-bono consulting for nonprofits by matching talented teams of undergraduate and graduate students with high potential nonprofits. Social venture consulting teams address business challenges of nonprofits during a semester-long consulting engagement. Students work collaboratively with a dedicated liaison from the nonprofit to design a recommendation that will be implementable by the nonprofit organization. Change the World is a project of Grassroots.org that serves as a catalyst for positive social change by offering free technology tools, resources and best practices for nonprofit organizations to leverage their charitable efforts and serve their community more effectively.

About Humanity TV Inc.
Humanity TV encourages volunteerism through media. Its Jersey Shore Volunteer Challenge will be a 12-week competition to create social media awareness to end homelessness caused by Hurricane Sandy. The results of the challenge will be broadcast on Traveltelevision.org.

Photo: New Jersey shoreline post-Sandy. Source: U.S. Air Force

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283  
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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