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Table of Contents

I. Client Planning Memo………………..pg. 3 - pg. 5II. Client Fact Sheet....................................pg. 7

III. Client Explanatory News Release…….pg. 8 - pg. 12

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TatianaPeralta954-895-5980

tperalta@gmu.edu

Public Relations Plan

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Final Portfolio

IV. Client Blog Post………………………...pg. 13 – pg. 14V. Client Website Post…………………….pg. 15 – pg. 17

VI. Autobiography………………………….pg. 18 – pg. 19

Client Planning MemoTo: Professor Rowan and Glenn KamberFrom: Tatiana PeraltaSubject: Client Planning MemoDate: October 19, 2016

The purpose of this memo is to organize a public relations campaign which raises awareness on cross-generational learning.

Introduction:The Osher Lifelong Leaning Institute at George Mason University provides opportunities for retired members of the community to participate, socialize and even teach classes. The George Mason University OLLI chapter has 13,000 members and three locations for classes. OLLI hires Tatiana Peralta, a George Mason University public relation student to create written pieces for their business on cross-generation learning.

Client Overview:Client Basics:Legal Name: Osher Lifelong Learning InstituteAddress: 4210 Roberts Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032

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Phone: (703)-503-3384Client Name: Glenn KamberContact E-mail: gmk11585@gmail.comWebsite: http://olli.gmu.edu/

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Mason Overview:Founder: Kathryn Brooks, Shirly Fox and Lilyan SperoEstablished: Originally called the Learning Retirement institute in 1991 and in 2000 the Osher foundation approached them and they were already established, but changed their name to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.Employees: 18-person Board of Directors.Clients: 1,200 – 1,300 members. Reaching Areas: Northern Virginia area, locations in Fairfax, Loudoun and RestonSocial Media: 139 likes on Facebook, latest activity October 5, 2016. A YouTube page with 5 videos.

Competition:Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern Virginia.-Smaller/Current Membership is approximately 340.-Cheaper, only $110 year compared to $375.-40–50 courses in comparison to 175 at OLLI.

Media Relations-They have a news editor.-Publications Committee Chair.-Three Webmasters.-Media Coverage by Fairfax City Patch and Fairfax Times.

PublicsInternal: Volunteers, Members and Board of Directors.External: Prospective Members, George Mason faculty & staff, Mason donors, Mason students and Mason community.Target Audience: Mason Donors, Mason Faculty & Staff with Students and Perspective Members.

Environment

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Fairfax County – One of the highest-incomes county in the United States. Population of 1,142,234. 53.2% White, 18.1% Asians, 16.0% Hispanic, 9.0% Black and 3.7% other. 21% of the household incomes is off $200,000 and over.

Public Relations analysis

Benefits:1. Has a steady number of members.2. University will do anything they can to help them as long as they are an asset.3. OLLI has diversity within their members, very accomplished.4. Part of the trend for retired members to live longer.5. Has been an established part of the community for over two decades.6. Mason is a growing school with a lot of Alumni coming through now.

Opportunities for Improvement1. OLLI has outgrown the location.2. Students aren’t aware of OLLI.3. No social media engagement.4. Not as well connected with Mason Community as they would like.

Message Strategy

Definition of Client: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University provides opportunities for retired members of the Northern Virginia, Fairfax County area to go back to school without the pressure of tests. OLLI members get to engage in an environment full of activities, learning and teaching.

Message Strategy: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason has been in the area for over two decades. The university will provide funding to the institute for as long as the institute proves to be a positive asset to the University. OLLI follows the national trend to help people live longer. OLLI members want to continue learning, thinking and growing within their communities. Glenn Kamber sits on the board of director for OLLI and he says “A lot of our members will come at 9:45 a.m. and then stay all day, they’ll go to three classes and have lunch there and socialize at our center” said Glenn Kamber, who sits on the board of directors for OLLI. OLLI Become a second home to the members.

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Proposed Portfolio for Client

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PR ITEMS DESCRIPTION

InfographicAn infographic on the background of OLLI at George Mason University and the way it benefits the elder members of our community.

Newspaper postAn article introducing cross-generational learning across the nation and at George Mason University.

Blog Posts A blog post on the positive aspects of cross-generation learning and my experiences at the

OLLI classes along with other students.

To: Professor Rowan and Glenn KamberFrom: Tatiana PeraltaSubject: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fact SheetDate: December 10th, 2016.

Mason News

To: Glenn Kamber and

Professor Rowan

For further

information, contact:

December 7, 2016

Tatiana Peralta

Tati2095@gmail.com

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Cross-Generational Learning Benefits Both College Students and Retired Members

of the Community

FAIRFAX, November 18, 2016 — There is nothing unusual about students sitting in

class, but what is unusual at one campus is the mix of students. This fall, two George Mason

University students in their twenties, sat in on one of the classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning

Institute. The Institute, or “OLLI,” as its members call it, is a college of sorts for students who

happen to be senior citizens.

Tatiana Peralta, a junior in communication, and Hailey Stephens, a sophomore studying

pre-nursing, sat in on a class entitled, “What’s In the News?” With them in class were an ex-

government lawyer, former CIA employees, and a former military lobbyist, all individuals are

55, and all OLLI members.

During the class, OLLI members talked about the weekend’s news. With the 2016

presidential election in the fall, many of the discussions focused on the election.

“The conversations happening within these classes are honest and genuine,” Peralta said. “There

are no exams or projects. All that both generations had to do was just listen to one-another.”

The Institute is located on Roberts Road within the campus of George Mason University.

Their mission statement, “Broadening horizons together” speaks volumes on what this

organization does. Olli has 119 centers around the country, all of which are associated with some

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university. Their founder, Bernie Osher, had one goal, to “give his money to lifelong learning,”

said Glenn Kamber, a member of OLLIs board of directors.

OLLI at Mason is one of the five OLLIs in that nation that has no official ties to a

university because when the Osher Foundation approached them in 2000, they were already

established. Despite that, Olli has created strong ties of respect and mutual assistance with

Mason. The relationship with the university continues and strengthens as long as Mason OLLI is

an asset to the Mason community, Kamber says. Today, OLLI at Mason has around 1,300

members and has outgrown its current location at Mason. The university has continued to help

them by allowing them to rent spaces in the nearby areas of Reston and Loudoun, some owned

by Mason.

OLLIs around the nation are part of the national trend to help seniors live longer. “All of

the OLLIs are important because they are about people who want to keep learning, thinking and

growing,” said Kamber. “People who stay intellectually active live longer and healthier,” said

Kamber.

Though some retired members of the community will stay cooped up in their homes,

OLLI members do not. “A lot of our members will come at 9:45 a.m. and then stay all day, go to

three classes, have lunch and socialize,” said Kamber. OLLI truly does become a second home to

its members. “Our members can learn, have cookies and go to class. This helps keep them

interested in life,” he said.

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The class Peralta and Stephens attended was an effort at cross generational learning.

There are a number of such initiatives across the nation. In Isabel Bacas’ book “Service-Learning

and Writing: Paving the way for Literacy(ies) through Community Engagement,” Baca, a

professor at the University of Texas, describes a cross-generation assignment given to 16

teenagers and 16 members of OLLI. The assignment was for them to write life stories about one-

another. Students learned that some of the OLLI members had set expectations for how they

wanted their stories to be told, while the students had expectations for how they needed to

complete their assignment. The key, Baca says, is to create communication between both

generations.

Another approach to multigenerational learning is being pursued at the University of

Minnesota’s OLLI program. There graduate students come in and teach an OLLI class for a

$1,000 stipend. One of the testimonials on their website says, “OLLI students and staff are

incredibly supportive and excited about learning. They joyously interchange knowledge. I was

also able to develop a course curriculum and 'test-drive' it on the OLLI students who are kind but

fearless in their engagement; asking incredibly intelligent and insightful questions. With the

feedback and interaction from OLLI students, my courses are improved! I now have many

courses that can be easily developed and translated for teaching at any university.”

“The main challenge in cross-generational learning is marketing this opportunity to

students who may be too busy to participate in other things outside of their classes,” said Peralta.

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The best approach to encouraging multigenerational learning may still be emerging.

Katherine Rowan, a Mason communication professor, said, “The Minnesota approach of paying

graduate students to teach OLLI classes has the benefit of providing a financial incentive to

encourage the generations to listen to one-another.”

“At the OLLI in Fairfax, we are trying voluntary efforts to achieve multigenerational

conversation,” she said. “I am unsure of which approach is better, but I know that Mason

students benefit from the mentoring and friendships they develop when they meet and work with

OLLI members.”

“My public relations classes have worked with OLLI for two years now on three public

relations projects,” she said. “The students developed public relations materials of value to them

in their careers.”

“In most cases, the students also came away feeling as though they had made connections

with people who cared about them and helped them professionally,” she said. “Perhaps even

more important, some of the students and seniors developed considerable respect for one-

another.”

“Interpersonal communication opportunities are shrinking in today’s world,” she said.

“OLLI brings those opportunities back.”

For more information on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute contact Glenn Kamber at

gmk11585@gmail.com.

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To: Professor Rowan and Glenn KamberFrom: Tatiana PeraltaSubject: Client Blog PostDate: December 10th, 2016.

Generations Prosper

With over 22% of the Fairfax county population being 55 years or older, according to

Fairfax County statistics, learning to be effective cross-generational communicators is vital, but

may feel challenging. Fortunately, there are resources in Fairfax to encourage multi-generational

communication.

George Mason University in Fairfax offers a direct and accessible way to become

involved in cross-generational learning. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is located near the

Mason campus in Fairfax, VA and currently has over 1,300 members. With members who have

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retired from many careers, taking advantage of OLLI is one way to encourage multi-generational

communication.

Two Masons students, Hailey Stephens and Tatiana Peralta, attended the 9 a.m. Monday

class this semester called, “What’s In The News?.” OLLI members discussed events from

various sources of news articles. Stephens, a pre-nursing student, who wants to go into end-of-

life care called this one of the most gratifying experiences she’s attended in her college career.

The best part, she says, was “getting to hear what they thought, but most importantly, them

asking us our thoughts on these issues, which was humbling and challenging.”

OLLI members are learning because they have a passion for it. “The best part about these

classes is that they aren’t forced; it creates a very relaxed environment for us to learn in,” said

Peralta.

With a growing population of retired members, finding ways to connect millennials and

baby boomers can be beneficial to both generations. OLLI provides that opportunity for Mason

students and its members to learn from one another in a cross-generational setting, we just have

to find the proper venues to do it.

OLLI members can find ways to connect with the Mason student community through

clubs, such as the Panhellenic council, whose members are always looking for retired

professionals to come in and teach their members about life after college. The Panhellenic

council hosts weekly meetings on Tuesday night, and often has programming meetings to teach

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members of its community about career goals and resume building. OLLI members can support

these groups by attending these programming meetings and sharing their knowledge with

students.

Although cross-generational learning may seem difficult, the venues for OLLI to provide

support and guidance outside of the classroom are wide open. OLLI members have a passion for

teaching and learning, which makes cross-generational learning all the better.

To: Professor Rowan and Glenn KamberFrom: Tatiana PeraltaSubject: Client Post for the WebsiteDate: October 19, 2016

Cross-Generational Learning Benefits Both College Students and Retired Members of the Community

FAIRFAX, November 18, 2016 — There is nothing unusual about students sitting in

class, but what is unusual at one campus is the mix of students. This fall, two George Mason

University students in their twenties, sat in on one of the classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning

Institute. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, as members call it it, is college for those

retired members of the community.

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Tatiana Peralta, a junior in communication, and Hailey Stephens, a junior in community

health, sat in on a class entitled, “What’s In The News?” With them in class were an ex-

government lawyer, former CIA employees, and a former military lobbyist, all individuals are

over 55, and all OLLI members.

“The conversations happening within these classes are honest and genuine,” Peralta said.

“There are no exams or projects. All that both generations had to do was just listen to one

another.”

The class Peralta and Stephens attended was an effort at cross-generational learning.

There are a number of such initiatives across the nation.

One such initiative occurs in Texas. In her book “Service-Learning and Writing: Paving

the way for Literacy(ies) through Community Engagement,” Isabel Baca, a professor at the

University of Texas, describes a cross-generational assignment given to 16 teenagers and 16

members of OLLI. The assignment was for them to write life stories about one-another. College

students learned that some of the OLLI members had set expectations for how they wanted their

stories to be told, while the students had expectations for how they needed to complete their

assignment. The key, Baca says, is to create communication between both generations.

“The main challenge in cross-generational learning is marketing this opportunity to

students who may be too busy to participate in other things outside of their classes,” Peralta said.

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“The best approach to encouraging multigenerational learning may still be emerging,”

Katherine Rowan, a Mason communication professor said. Glenn Kamber, a board member at

OLLI in Fairfax, told us that the Minnesota OLLI pays graduate students to teach OLLI classes.

That approach has the benefit of providing a financial incentive to encourage the generations to

listen to one another.

“At the OLLI in Fairfax, Kamber and his associates are trying to achieve

multigenerational conversation by inviting college students to some of the OLLI classes,” she

said. “I am unsure of which approach is better, but I know that Mason students benefit from the

mentoring and friendships they develop when they meet and work with OLLI members.”

“In most cases, the students also came away feeling as though they had made

connections with people who cared about them and helped them professionally,” she said.

“Perhaps even more important, some of the students and seniors developed considerable respect

for one another.

“Interpersonal communication opportunities are shrinking in today’s world,” she said.

“OLLI brings those opportunities back. With the increasing number of aging Americans and the

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need college students have for mentorship, friendship and support, finding ways to support

multigenerational communication is a great idea.”

For more information on the Osher Lifelong Learning contact Glenn Kamber at

gmk11585@gmail.com.

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For Immediate Release Tatiana Peralta954-895-5980tperalta@gmu.edu

A Mason Communication Student Overcomes Adversity

FAIRFAX, Aug. 31, 2016 – A mason student is now running social media for the

Panhellenic Council at Mason. Twelve years ago, Peralta moved to Florida from Bogota,

Colombia, with her family knowing no English. Peralta was able to learn quickly, master the

language and bridge the cultural barriers between herself and her classmates.

Peralta is now a junior at George Mason

University studying communication with a

concentration in public relations and a minor in

tourism and events management. She is a member of

Alpha Phi fraternity, student government, and works

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for Mason Housing and Residence Life. Additionally, she now holds the position of social media

manager for Student Involvement. Peralta has had multiple internships in her two years in

Virginia, but her biggest accomplishment has been becoming the vice president of public

relations for the Panhellenic Council.

“Moving from Florida to Virginia was not easy, but being at George Mason has given me

endless opportunities,” said Peralta. Her position on the Panhellenic council requires her to run

- More –

all of the council’s social media, develop creative ideas to positively promote the council and

oversee the social media for all seven of Masons’ sororities. One of her biggest initiatives has

been creating monthly kiosks, a social media plan and revamping the website.

“This position has taught me a love for social media, creativity and a what it means to

have a client,” Peralta said. Peralta hopes to continue her role through the semester and plans to

continue taking on leadership roles which challenge her thinking and teach her more about her

field.

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