WCU Students Partner with Local Nonprofits to Address Food Insecurity Through Experiential
Learning Course
During the Fall 2025 semester, West Chester University students took on the challenge of partnering with local food access nonprofits by creating communication deliverables designed to boost outreach, donations, and volunteer engagement. More than 50 students were enrolled in two sections of COM 333: Organizational Teams and Networks, taught by Assistant Professor Dr. Laura Brown in the Department of Communication and Media.
Against the backdrop of the April 2025 cancellation of a $250,000 food order to the
Chester County Food Bank, disruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP), and a government shutdown, the course provided students with a timely, real-world
lens through which to examine the role of community networks in supporting food-insecure
families and individuals.
"Working in teams, students created communication deliverables for local nonprofits," said Brown.
“Students gained professional experience working with real clients, assessing their
needs, clearly communicating their skill set as a team, and keeping their commitments
to their clients. They learned the importance of follow-up and of multi-channel communication;
and that sometimes a phone call is much more effective than an email,” she adds.
Partner organizations included Berwyn United Methodist Food Pantry, The Care Center Foundation, Lord’s Pantry of Downingtown, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels of Chester County, Paoli Presbyterian Food Cupboard, Phoenixville Area Community Services, St. Agnes Dorothy Day Center, and Wayne Cares. Student deliverables ranged from short-form videos for social media and flyers posted across campus to solicit volunteers, to digital Canvas announcements promoting nonprofit events and large hand-painted posters used for community outreach.
Meals on Wheels of Chester County recently featured the students and their work in its organizational newsletter, highlighting the collaboration and thanking students for their role in organizing a Dine & Donate event at PJ Whelihan’s in West Chester.
This Spring, Brown teaches COM 214: Relational Communication & MDC 250: Intercultural Communication.