Editors note: This story was written before the final design was selected
Students in a typography class at Castleton State College are getting real-world experience working with a client while helping a neighborhood in Rutland decrease crime rates and build a sense of community.
The typography students, and Marna Grove of the Art Department, have teamed with Korrine Rodrigue of Project Vision to create a logo and flyers promoting a neighborhood block party in the Northwest neighborhood.
“The purpose of the VISION coalition is to identify the many underlying and contributing factors associated with local crime and substance abuse so that informed solutions can be developed,” said Rodrigue, a senior research associate for the University of Miami.
Vision stands for Viable Innovative Solutions through the Involvement of Neighborhoods, Rodrigue said.
The first solution is a community block party for neighbors in the Northwestern neighborhood of Rutland.
“Of the 13,000 calls for service annually to the Rutland City Police Department, about 73 percent are from the Northwest area,” Rodrigue said.
Typography students have been tasked with developing a flyer for the neighborhood block party. Rodrigue visited the class, briefed the students, and plans to walk door-to-door distributing the flyers and encouraging participation.
Grove, her students, and Rodrigue agree about that the benefits of the project. The flyers will provide visibility to the coalition and students will gain experience working in the field.
“The biggest thing is to realize that this work is for a viable client and can be shown to a prospective employer,” Grove said after the final critique. “You are literally volunteering your design work to help this project and that goes onto your resume.”
Karla Hunter, a student in the class, is excited about teaming with Project Vision. “It will be a positive thing to have in a portfolio because it shows we have practical experience,” Hunter said. (in an interview.)

Rodrigue was happy with the outcome of the first project and this reporter had his design selected as the final to represent Project Vision.
“We hope to continue to work with Castleton students with our VISION project. It is important for students to understand community problems and what can be done to solve them.”