Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: University of Missouri - St. Louis

Title of entry: UMSL Daily - Show Me The World

About this entry: University of Missouri–St. Louis alumni have deep connections to the university. Most remain in the St. Louis area, fueling the economic engine of the region and making meaningful change in the community. One such alum is Samantha Lurie, who graduated from UMSL with two master’s degrees in education. As a biology teacher at Vashon High School, Lurie founded Show Me The World.

It began as a grassroots fundraiser to support a study abroad trip, but over the past decade, it has become a 501c3 non-profit organization and sustainable entrepreneurial endeavor. St. Louis high school students in the program sell sustainable, single-origin coffee from countries such as Costa Rica and Peru. The profits help fund international study abroad experiences for participating students, and along the way, they gain valuable real-world skills in cultural competency, entrepreneurship, finance and marketing.

This feature story required in-depth interviews and research to highlight the history of the program and to illustrate UMSL’s impact on St. Louis, particularly how the university’s alumni are working to create a better future for students in under-resourced communities. The audience includes local UMSL alumni as well as business and community leaders in the St. Louis region. After publishing the story, we distributed a targeted press release to local media, garnering additional media coverage of the program from St. Louis Public Radio, which has more than 500,000 listeners in the region, and Ladue News, which has a bi-weekly distribution of 35,000.