Public awareness campaign shares UWF’s story

Did you know that UWF’s estimated economic impact on Northwest Florida is $650 million? Or that approximately 25,000 UWF graduates live and work in Northwest Florida? After four decades of working diligently within the community to build a prestigious regional institution that is dedicated to shaping today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders, UWF is confident and eager to share all that it has accomplished. On Sept. 25, UWF launched its largest public awareness campaign – “Creating Great Futures for Northwest Florida.”

“Knowing who we are and telling our story, this campaign is going to be everywhere you look,” said Judy Bense, UWF President. “It’s the best campaign and it’s the biggest campaign we’ve had in our history.”

As Northwest Florida’s only state-funded public university, UWF serves as an economic growth engine for the region. Helping to meet regional needs in Health Care; Business and Economic Development; Science, Engineering and Technology; Public History and Archaeology; The Arts, and through endowed scholarships, UWF provides an increasingly educated workforce to Northwest Florida. The university’s new public awareness campaign aims to inform the region’s citizens of the common connection they have with their university.

“UWF knows how to provide a quality education,” said Bense. “We know how to respond to regional needs and how to make a difference in our community. But people need to know that. We cannot afford to be the best kept secret in Northwest Florida any longer.”

During the campaign, UWF will share the significant accomplishments of its students. UWF students are volunteering 57,367 hours yearly in Northwest Florida. Students have helped to discover nine historic shipwrecks, and have brought UWF five national athletic championships. UWF students are an integral part of the Northwest Florida region and are using the skills and knowledge they gained from UWF to contribute to the region’s success.

The Creating Great Futures for Northwest Florida campaign also features alumni and faculty. In total, more than 20 alumni, faculty and students who are connected to UWF will convey to the region the impact that the university has made in their lives, as well as in the Northwest Florida. They will be featured in newspaper and magazine advertisements, Web profiles, radio spots and television ads. Other components of the campaign include roadside billboards placed throughout Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties, news stories and social media applications.

“The key to success at UWF is to be more visible,” said Bense. “We are going to be in the media, and the community is going to know how big of an impact UWF truly has in Northwest Florida.”

For more information about the campaign, visit uwf.edu/impact.

Contributed by University Marketing Communications