2020 marks the beginning of a new decade, and with it, we are placing our focus on the future. Help the mass media department move forward as we continue to provide programs and opportunities that produce competitive media practitioners. Through your generosity, the department will stay true to its mission of the pursuit of excellence. Your gift as part of the Day of Giving will make a real impact in four key areas:
WIFI Film Festival
The second annual WIFI Film Festival will run from Thursday, April 2, 2020, to Saturday, April 4, 2020, on Washburn University’s campus and at the Jayhawk Theatre in downtown Topeka. The festival is open and free to attend for everyone. The inaugural film festival featured over 70 films from 16 different countries, and this year’s festival will expand its educational programs and community reach.
The WIFI Film Festival will feature a variety of events, including the viewing of film submissions, alumni events, educational workshops and a presentation of awards to filmmakers. Your generous gifts will help make this festival a reality by providing awards for winning films, contributing to the cost of hosting the film festival and helping us provide educational opportunities for artists. This year, we are having a special focus on women and film to correspond to Washburn University’s WUmester 2020. We will be having a special focus on films both by and about women. We will also feature an accomplished female director from Hollywood and a female filmmaker panel by a Washburn alumna.
Read more about the WIFI Film Festival.
Technology
The mass media department continues to grow. Our faculty teach classes that require access to the latest technology, which includes industry-standard software and hardware. Mass media courses train students to tell stories through multiple formats and adjust to the swift pace of technology. Students gain the skills to be adept using a variety of digital and traditional platforms and almost every class gives students the opportunity to do real-world work with industry professionals in local businesses and non-profit organizations to make sure graduates are competitive in the field.
Scholarships
The mass media department faculty believe in giving students a well-rounded and rewarding education so they can gain a fulfilling career and find their place to change the world. Scholarships make all the difference in providing the access and opportunity for students to attend the mass media program at Washburn and get their start in life with us. Through the generous support of our donors, last year we managed to award 11 endowed scholarships to 27 mass media students.
Experiential Learning with a Travel Component
Providing unique opportunities for students to learn about the world through first-hand experiences is an important goal of the mass media department. Students need to be able to take their knowledge gained in the classroom and see it put into practice. We do this through unique classes faculty have created that include travel components so students can learn outside the traditional classroom. In 2020, mass media will provide two experiential learning classes that include travel. These are:
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March 2020: Walt Disney & Society: Exploring Marketing and Advertising of the Disney Corporation in Orlando, Florida
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June 2020: Filmmaking in Society: A Practitioner’s Guide to the Film Industry in Hollywood
See a Capital-Journal story about the class visit in the summer of 2019.
