The Canine Companions Students Training Exceptional Puppies (STEP) program empowers college students to directly contribute to the development of future service dogs. This portfolio documents a full strategic campaign designed to increase student awareness, participation, and long-term engagement at the University of Pittsburgh. The project focuses on understanding student values, creating authentic nonprofit storytelling, and building a promotional strategy that feels warm, purposeful, and community-driven.

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Our research revealed that students respond most strongly to hands-on, mission-centered opportunities that let them make a measurable difference. Many students were not aware that STEP even existed on campus, despite its alignment with their interests in volunteerism, wellness, and community connection. This insight shaped the campaign goal: make STEP visible, accessible, and emotionally compelling for college audiences.

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This website brings together every component of the strategic and creative process, including campaign objectives, audience insights, promotional tactics, visual assets, and final deliverables. Each section is designed to show not only what was created, but why it was created—highlighting decisions, branding choices, and the reasoning behind the approaches used. Together, these materials form a cohesive, professional project that demonstrates applied communication strategy, nonprofit promotion, and multimedia storytelling.