Creative Entrepreneurship: COMM424
Here’s what Southern Oregon University’s course in Creative Entrepreneurship boils down to, nurturing passionate and creative entrepreneurs who want to make a difference.
Taught in a unique weekend format, students in COMM424 choose a problem in the community and have 10 weeks to ideate, innovate and create a tangible product as a solution.
Throughout the process, each student works under ever-evolving assumptions to take on roles using the skills and talents they have learned across other courses on campus. Each entrepreneurial project entails self-directed management, timeliness and flexibility.
“A natural entrepreneurial spirit,” characterizes the students of COMM424, said course instructor and regional business advocate Heather Stafford, “along with a keen understanding of purpose, project-based work, social media, and online marketing, and great confidence in themselves.”
In Winter term, Comm majors Kayle Blackmore, Erika Soderstorm and Emily Callahan led a project that documented the devastating Camp wildfire. The fire swept through Redding, California in July 2018.
The team sought to tell the stories of the community, even after the cameras and news crews from mainstream journalism outlets are long gone. The three made multiple trips to Redding during their quest to build a multimedia account of recovery in Redding.
Although most students enrolled this term happened to be Communication majors, Stafford encourages students of any major to enroll as an elective, enabling them to “skill up” in entrepreneurial practices that have a growing influence in the workplace.
“The future of work is entrepreneurial,” she said. “Nearly half of today’s workforce are already freelancers or consultants and do not have a traditional 9 to 5 job.”
Learn More About Communication Degree Programs Here
Story and photo by Lindsey Wishengrad
