Children and Families

Lark Rayburn
Blog 2

Children and Families

I’m a member of Team Heroes, the BEST group ever!! Our client this semester is the Center for Children and Families, Inc. (CCFI), a non-profit organization which has worked on improving the lives of children and families for almost 40 years. Established in 1969 as a juvenile shelter Juvenile Services Inc. (JSI), has continued to adapt to the needs of its community. The mission of this organization is to improve the lives of children through partnerships with families and communities, because every boy and girl deserves to grow up safe, nurtured and loved.

CCFI, a partnership with United Way, is Norman’s safe place for families in distress, an education and rehabilitation hub for parents and children in crisis, and an invaluable source of expertise in family development and neglect and abuse issues. In 2006, the organization assisted 9,624 Cleveland County residents.

The Center has four programs including Divorce Visitation Arbitration, Neighborhood Centers, Teenage Parenting and Parents Assistance.

Although CCFI has many beneficial things to offer, the organization has received little recognition. Because of this, CCFI desires to get the organization’s name out and interest the community in visiting CCFI and take a 50 minute tour to learn more about the organization’s programs, operations and goals.

Our group is planning on holding a media event which would inform the public about CCFI’s services, programs, volunteer opportunities and facility. We ultimately want CCFI to be a household name.

This opportunity seems overwhelming, but I know this will be an extremely practical and rewarding experience.

Sports Information Director

John Cook
Blog 3

My dream job is working as a sports information director (SID) for a NCAA Division 1 school. SIDs are in control of the image of the sports programs, the publications that the programs produce in every sport, organizing the media, and also organizing almost everything on game days that involves the media. This job will keep me busy and a public relations (PR) degree will fit in perfect for this career.


Crisis management is a big part of being a good SID. Think ‘Rhett Bomar.” After my experience this year in PR Campaigns I feel like a seasoned veteran when it comes to crisis management. There are other lessons taught in campaigns that will help as I move forward into this field as well. Ethics is another area that we focus on in PR that is crucial. As the voice of the athletic department you can only report what you know and only after you find the truth. There is no reason to report on unfounded rumors or answer questions from the media that you may not have all the facts about at that point.


These are just a couple areas that PR has helped me prepare for my dream job. Unfortunately becoming a SID at a major school is very difficult. There are only 119 schools in Division I football, so there is a very limited amount of jobs available at that level. Only the best SIDs get a chance at schools like OU, Texas, USC and other big time schools. I will continue to work on my goals as I move forward and hopefully I will be the OU SID down the road. I will probably end up at a small school before I make the big leap!

Livin' the Dream in the Big Dub

My dream job in public relations is a little off the beaten path. I have in fact, been called a nerd because of my choice. I don’t dream about working in Hollywood as an agent or representing spoiled athletes or being an event coordinator to the stars. No, my dream job is working as the press secretary for the President of the United States. I was sixteen when I first discovered what I wanted to do when I graduated, and my enlightenment came from the TV show “The West Wing.” As an avid amateur politico that had been weaned on the Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, I was immediately drawn to the fast paced world of the President’s executive office. It was also quickly apparent to me that in the boy’s club of the show, I had found a role model in C. J. Cregg, played by Alison Janney. Cregg was smart, funny, and sarcastic, all things I wanted to be. And what a job! She was the gate-keeper to the American people. Later on in the show, they showed what Cregg had been doing before she went to work for the president. She apparently worked for one of the biggest public relations firms in Los Angeles as a promoter for movies. That’s when I knew that I should major in PR when I finally got to college.
In pursuit of my goal, I have tacked on a political science minor and have gotten involved in political campaigns. I am currently volunteering for Senator Andrew Rice in his bid for US Senator against incumbent Senator Imhoff, who once stated that global warming was the “biggest hoax perpetrated against the American people. I wish I was joking on that one, but it actually happened. I am also a member of the street team for Rock the Vote. I’m not sure if I’m on the right path to my dream job, and I know that I’m going to need a Democratic president to work for, but look out for me any way in a few years. I may just be getting mocked on Saturday Night Live, like my poor friend Dubbya.