Last year a group of UTS Management Consulting students got the chance to apply their learning on a real-world challenge with not-for-profit group Panania Free Rangers.
Panania Free Rangers (PFR) is a small team of volunteers that run local sustainability activities, with a focus on community wellbeing and local food growth. Some of their impactful activities include in-school education programs and social care gardening.
Through the UTS Shopfront Community Program, the students worked with PFR to streamline their business and marketing practices.
The students provided their valuable skills and expertise to help the organisation develop strategies to promote their products and services to the local community. This involved:
- Evaluating PFR’s business model
- Undertaking market research in the form of interviews and surveys
- Brainstorming business opportunities for the future development of the organisation.
Students suggested a rethink of PFR’s current messaging – describing who they are, what they offer, their mission statement and values – so that anyone coming to their organisation would have a clearer understanding of what they do and how they could get involved. They also provided valuable suggestions for expanding the organisation, such as developing a PFR headquarters location to consolidate their activities.
Jacquie Dredge, co-founder and director of PFR, said participating in the program had a significant impact on the organisation.
‘We've worked with Shopfront and UTS students twice now and it has been terrific.
‘It has helped us to scale and build PFR. Even psychologically, having other people look at our business model and critique it with fresh ideas has been helpful. The students were really invested in it.
It will put the village on the map. It will allow us to present our local icons. I don’t think the students realise how much they’ve helped our community for years to come.
While COVID-19 and lockdown presented challenges with communications channels, and saw the project move online, UTS student Peta still found it to be an invaluable experience.
I have learned a lot. It's given me experience in work I’ve never done. It was great to apply my knowledge to a real-life organisation.
Jacqui Dredge echoed these sentiments.
‘I learned heaps. I learned you have to detach your personal opinion and put on the business glasses when collaborating. It also taught me to trust a process.
‘I think this program is so valuable. It’s really life changing and experiential learning was terrific for both the students and organisation. I’d love to see this program in every university.
Following the project, Peta was hired by PFR and is now the co-director and Events and Public Relations Coordinator for the organisation.
Shopfront links the community sector to university expertise through pro bono projects completed by students as part of their studies, supervised by academic experts in their field. We aim to create mutual value, supporting community organisations while engaging students in important social justice issues. Find out more.