Throughout the fall semester, Samford University Brock School of Business students taking social media marketing put their classroom knowledge to work for a greater cause. By partnering with eight Birmingham nonprofits and three Samford Startup companies, student groups developed innovative social media strategies, concepts and engaging posts tailored to each organization’s unique needs. Students concluded the semester by presenting their work at a posterboard fair to a panel of judges, peers and business faculty. At the end of the fair, three winners were awarded for their outstanding efforts.
The participating nonprofits and businesses included:
Nonprofits
- Ministry Center at Green Springs
- Urban Purpose
- Homewood City Schools Community Garden
- The Literacy Council of Central Alabama
- Grace Klein Community
- Friends of Shades Creek
- Greater Birmingham Ministries
- Pathways
Samford Startup
Mary Harrison, visiting associate professor of marketing, presented her social media marketing class with the semester-long project, challenging students to put their academic knowledge to work for businesses in the Birmingham area.
The idea for the project originated when Harrison met with Samford alumna and 2023 Humanitarian of the Year, Jenny Waltman. Waltman is the founder, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Grace Klein Community, a Birmingham based nonprofit. Harrison reflected on the initial conversations that sparked the idea for her class. "Grace Klein staff discussed with me the work previously completed by Samford's social media marketing students. In addition, one of my favorite classes at my previous institution, Birmingham-Southern College, was an entrepreneurship challenge — so I began to form the idea that combined the two: a social media challenge.”
Throughout the semester, each group developed clear goals, creative concepts and defined target audiences, while also tracking engagement rates for the social media accounts they managed.
"Creating content and building a brand are difficult tasks for small businesses, especially nonprofits. Samford students are learning how to work with clients and essentially be a part of a student-run social media agency," Harrison noted. "They also learned how to design a social media strategy and work to build engagement for the organization."
The three winners, whose strategies were deemed the most impactful, were announced at the fair and awarded for their work: Homewood City Schools Community Garden, Pathways and Workbench.
Josh Musser, a student who worked alongside Homewood City Schools Community Garden reflected on the project and the impact it has on the community. "This project was beneficial to me in multiple ways. Getting to work hands-on with a passion project like the Homewood Community Garden showed me the scope and dedication it takes to give back to your community and how you can educate through a space like the garden. With Homewood Middle School connected to the garden, its possibilities are plentiful. The chance to work on a project with real-world application was also priceless — applying the information I learned in my marketing classes and seeing the implications of our work was a great learning experience."
Garrett Stinson, another student who worked alongside Workbench throughout the semester, commented on his experience. "The social media project was an incredible opportunity to apply my skills in a real-world setting, where our efforts made a tangible impact. It enhanced my understanding of social media strategy and the value of teamwork and creativity," said Stinson. "I’m grateful for the chance to collaborate with a great team and contribute to a business like Workbench while gaining practical, hands-on experience."
You can find students' work for each nonprofit by searching #BrockSocialMediaChallenge on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Working with local Birmingham companies allows Samford students the opportunity to learn more about the importance of nonprofit organizations and gain real-world experiences. This experiential learning reflects why Samford is ranked No. 8 in the nation for career preparation and No. 10 in the nation for most recommended colleges in the U.S. by The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse (2025). These rankings demonstrate Samford's commitment to equipping students for impactful careers.
