FORT WORTH, TEXAS—March 22, 2016—Texas Christian University students are creating a campaign for the U.S. Department of Justice to encourage productive conversations and to build trust between local teens and law enforcement.
“I am really excited to be partnering with the Department of Justice this semester,” said Martha McAuliffe, account coordinator of the TCU strategic communication campaigns class. “I think the campaign has the ability to make a huge impact in the Fort Worth community.”
Margaret Ritsch, the class instructor, arranged the campaign project through Edventure Partners. Edventure Partners connects universities with federal agencies that are seeking to engage the millennial generation. TCU is one of 16 universities in the country that is working on this project with the U.S. Dept. of Justice.
Students from the campaign class have participated in a ride-along with Fort Worth police officers to observe their daily interactions with the community. They are also partnering with Fort Worth ISD’s Eastern Hills High School to gain insight about their opinions and personal experiences with local law enforcement.
A kick-off event is being held at the school along with a pep rally involving Fort Worth police to encourage positive interaction between local teens and law enforcement. Members of the campaigns class are staying active through various social media channels in order to reach out and receive feedback from the high school students and others in the community.
“This is a valuable opportunity for seniors in the strategic communication department to apply their knowledge and skills to a pressing social issue,” Ritsch said. “ It’s fortuitous that our campaign will merge with efforts already underway in the Fort Worth Police Department in its relationship with the communities it serves.”
Fort Worth is one of six pilot cities in the U.S participating in the National Initiative for Building Community Trust of the Justice Department. While the national initiative is separate from the TCU campaigns class project, both organizations have the same goal; rebuild and strengthen trust between law enforcement and communities.
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