'My Week as a C. Pharr Intern'

We have seen an increasing trend in internships this summer, but we’re not talking about college internships! High school internships are on the rise this year! Yes, you read that right – high school junior and seniors are now entering the internship arena. In fact, our client Capital One, partnered with the Plano Mayor’s office to launch the inaugural Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program this summer. As one of the largest employers and leading corporate citizens in Plano, Capital One has embraced the program as a great opportunity to give back to the community and invest in Plano ISD students and their futures!
 
Following in our client’s footsteps, C. Pharr recently served as a mentor to a high school senior as he began exploring his interests and options for his future career. Last week, the C. Pharr team had the pleasure of hosting a local high school student from Parish Episcopal School for a week-long internship. Our intern, John, got a taste of agency life. He learned about  media research, helped draft media pitches, observed client calls and he even had the chance to review a few award-winning public relations case studies, giving him an overview of how a PR campaign is implemented from start to finish. After getting his feet wet in the PR world, this is what John had to say about his experience at C. Pharr...

For the past week I've been interning at C. Pharr & Co. as part of my graduation requirements as a senior at Parish Episcopal School. I am required to complete a one-week internship in a profession I'm interested in studying in college. 

 

While high school internships aren't that popular, they definitely make a difference. I now understand what PR actually is; even when I was learning about C. Pharr, I constantly heard “marketing.” I now know they are not the same. But more importantly, I am probably one of the few students who understand what the communications department does at Parish and why that guy goes around photographing anything that moves. I understand why my school posts articles on its website. I understand the process that led Parish to decide to film my math class to use as background for a news segment the school was pitching. 

This week has been an expansion of my creative writing classes in a business setting with an entirely different subject matter, and a quick foray into the connections between business and media and how they affect the news. Both of which I have found extremely enjoyable and rewarding – even if the next time I read a magazine I'm completely disillusioned.

John C., graduating class of 2014 at Parish Episcopal. 

Thanks for spending the week with us, John! We hoped you learned a lot!

This blog was contributed by Kristen Crosby (@klcrosby25).

'My Week as a C. Pharr Intern'

Inaugural Uptown Ciclovía to Take Place this Memorial Day

The C. Pharr team has been working on a fun new project that we know you all would love to hear about! Uptown Ciclovía is making its way to Dallas this Memorial Day, and everyone is invited to experience Uptown Dallas in a new and exciting way! Ciclovías across the nation are unique events that temporarily shut down and transform city streets into urban parks for people to experience the city by foot, bicycle, rollerblades, skates and more.

Ciclovía is a Spanish term that means "bicycle path," also known as Open Streets in the United States. Originating in Bogatá, Colombia in 1976, Ciclovías were created in an effort to make Colombia a safer cycling city. Today, Ciclovías have been successfully taking place and gaining momentum for years in major cities around the country. Each Ciclovía event brings communities closer together and motivates city residents to evaluate the activity in their lives.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, May 26, Uptown Dallas, Inc. in partnership with the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, will organize the first ever 1.25-mile, car-free route connecting the Katy Trail to Klyde Warren Park and the Dallas Arts District via Cedar Springs Road and Harwood Street. People of all ages are encouraged to utilize this closed-off section of Cedar Springs Road to run, bike, walk, play, etc.

Not only will Uptown Ciclovía be open to bikers and runners, but it will also be available to other heart-healthy activities put on by local vendors. Yoga, boot camp and other similar classes will be held along the route to demonstrate the fun ways health can be incorporated into daily routines. This is a FREE event, and residents of Dallas can enter the route at any point – there is no starting point or finish line.

Below is a news clip the C. Pharr team secured on FOX 4’s “In The Now” with Natalie Solis. Watch the segment featuring Uptown Ciclovía steering committee member Joseph Pitchford as he discusses this exciting event! And, be sure to tune in to WFAA’sGood Morning Texas this Monday, May 19 when the Uptown team demonstrates the “Ciclovía fun” live in-studio.

Uptown Ciclovia Clip via FOX 4 DFW

We hope to see you, your family and your friends at this inaugural Uptown Dallas event! For more information check out www.uptownciclovia.org.

This blog was contributed by Emily Chandler (@Emily_PharrPR) and Kathrine Brody (@Kabrody)

Inaugural Uptown Ciclovía to Take Place this Memorial Day