Through a community partnership with Goodwill, two service-learning courses have been offered to students at Buffalo State College in both “Issues in Merchandising and Fashion Retailing,” taught by Dr. Liza Abraham, and “Fundamentals of the Fashion Industry,” taught by Professor Erin Habes.
After students learn about the organization, they conduct surveys, integrate visual merchandising best practices into newly renovated stores, and plan and produce in-store fashion shows that engage customers and increase sales. These efforts help to generate funding for Goodwill’s workforce program.
Over the years, the projects have continued to grow and incorporate areas such as styling and photography, as well as recreate high-end fashion trends using items found in the store. Images are used on social media to raise awareness and connect with young adults.
In addition, Buffalo State collaborates with Goodwill to include the organization in “Runway,” the annual student-run fashion show. The partnership between Goodwill and Buffalo State’s Fashion students is now in its seventh year and continues to grow stronger.
Across SUNY, students, faculty and administration alike are coming together to in the spirit of charity and togetherness. 30 Days of Giving is our annual tradition, which starts on Thanksgiving every year, where we reflect on efforts of the past year and highlight some of the selfless acts of that members of the SUNY community are leading. Stay tuned for more.
This sounds like such a great program. I was in a Goodwill store recently, and I don’t know if the store was part of this program or not, but I was impressed with the visual merchandising and general layout of the store. I have no trouble believing it’s worth the effort.