The following is a release from Cascadia College in Bothell:

Bothell residents may have noticed chalk drawings decorating the sidewalks of Main Street in downtown Bothell recently. Paw prints, bears and slogans – all in a rainbow of colors – proclaiming how proud Cascadia students are of their college. The work was part of a campaign created by students enrolled in a Public Relations and Marketing internship at Cascadia that is designed to give students relevant experience in the field.

“We designed a campaign that would share our vision of college students as an integral part of the Bothell community, then we recruited students to help us carry it out,” said one of the campaign organizers, Mila Prokopenko. “We chose to focus our imagery on our mascot, Kody the Kodiak. The tools we chose to work with were a bucket of chalk, a camera and microphone, and a sense of purpose to show Bothell we’re here and we’re awesome!”

In addition to their chalk art, students wanted to engage community members about their perspective on working and living in a college town. They interviewed local employees and residents about how Cascadia impacts them. One passerby commented, “Having college students involved in the community brings an energy to Bothell that is special. It is revitalizing and so fresh, especially for those of us who have been here for years.”

“The idea of this campaign was to promote a sense of pride in being a part of a bigger community. Cascadia students rely on local businesses to provide locations to be active, study, hang out, eat meals, and live. We truly want to be active members of the Bothell community,” said Jared Trinka, a Cascadia student who helped to organize the campaign.

International students and adult learners at Cascadia joined with traditional college students to decorate the campus and Main Street. Organizers report the community response was overwhelmingly positive. They hope you will Raise Your PawZ and be proud of the community students and residents are building together.