COLLEGE STUDENTS CREATE NEW WEB SITE FOR CREDC

WSUV program proves to be valuable resource for local nonprofits

VANCOUVER, Wash. (February 10, 2009) - Thanks to the talents and expertise of nine students enrolled in Washington State University Vancouver's (WSUV's) Digital Technology and Culture (DTC) Program, the Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) launched its new Web site today aimed at business owners who are interested in expansion or relocation.

"One of the responsibilities of a land grant university, such as WSUV, is to give back to our local community," said WSUV Chancellor Hal Dengerink. "All our students work on projects that directly benefit the community."

During the process of interviewing various interactive agencies last summer, the management team at CREDC became aware of the DTC program that requires senior seminar students to create a digital technology project for a community-based nonprofit organization. CREDC then partnered with the students enrolled in the fall 2008 senior seminar who designed, wrote, programmed and now have launched the new Web site. Past class projects for other organizations include video and animation projects.

"Selecting WSUV students to develop our new Web site supports one of the basic missions of our organization - workforce development," said CREDC President Bart Phillips. "The real-world projects the students work on will make them even more valuable to local employers."

CREDC redesigned its Web site (www.credc.org) to better provide businesses owners and site selection consultants with the necessary information to make an informed decision related to the expansion and/or relocation of a company.

"Visitors to our new site will now be able to access critical information within just a few clicks of the mouse, continued Phillips. "The improved navigability is going to make a tremendous difference."

In addition to the streamlined site navigation, the nine-member team of students completely redesigned and wrote new copy for the site. Features of the site include a searchable database and in-depth information sought after by business owners and site selection consultants including:
· a comprehensive business information center;
· an in-depth business profile of ClarkCounty;
· information on the region's industry clusters;
· listings of available industrial and commercial buildings and properties;
· community attributes such as schools, recreation, and cost of living; as well as
· resources and services provided by CREDC.

"These projects benefit our students on several levels," said Dene Grigar, PhD., the chair of the school's DTC program. "They gain hands-on experience and learn to work as a team to meet an organization's goals. They will have a project for their portfolios when they go out to look for a job. And, they walk away knowing that they have done something especially good for the community."

The DTC program integrates critical thinking, creativity and computing skills with course work in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Students can direct their studies in one of three areas: Multimedia Authoring; Informatics; or Culture and Technology.