Promotional Video to Recruit Volunteers for Non-Profit Day Camp

Project Transformation strove to enrich the lives of the children of their community through a summer-camp-style day camp. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the organization provided breakfast, various activities such as arts and crafts, reading with volunteers, and computer skills to bridge the learning gap of summer vacation. The founders of the project based their mission on the church’s ability to nurture the minds and souls of the children of the community.

The organization was in constant need of new volunteers, as the attendance of the program continued to grow. The participation of volunteers in the program brightened the experience for the children, providing them with one-on-one assistance with reading, grammar, and pronunciation. In 2006, they developed the need for a creative, representative promotional campaign that would appeal to prospective volunteers and attendees alike.

Our video production team personally documented and recorded countless hours of footage of the program, capturing the relationships between the children and volunteers. The fast-paced nature of the editing and reality-show style formatting appealed to audiences across nearly all demographics. The personal interviews of volunteers and tasteful footage of the children provided a look into the inner workings and special relationships of the organization. The final product was the recipient of the SIAA 2010 Silver Award in the Special Video Production category.

Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Project Transformation built their organization around their mission to entertain and educate the children of the community. Many underprivileged children find themselves with little to do during summer vacation, as recreational activities are increasingly expensive. Project Transformation served as a haven for children from any background who sought to continue their education through the summer and enhance their everyday life skills.

Volunteers take on numerous roles, such as computer assistants, reading guides, chefs and art teachers, joining together to produce the most enriching experience for the children involved. Volunteers of all ages were necessary to help as teaching assistants and youth coordinators. Marketing campaigns served as the best way to attract the attention of prospective volunteers and convey the difference they could make through their participation.

Our creative team understood the importance of constructing an attractive, interactive video that captured the energy and spirit of the children and volunteers alike. We incorporated thematic elements representative of reality shows, keeping the pace of the video moving quickly through the day. This perspective into the daily operation of the organization highlighted the enriching experience cultivated at Project Transformation.

The beginning of the video introduced the student volunteers who are responsible for the coordination of activities throughout various elements of the day. A fun, upbeat jazz tune serves as the background music for the intro of the video, which states the mission of the organization, “Learn. Engage. Serve. Transform Lives.” A bright, lively orange stands out from the black background, accentuated by the shaky, jumpy animation of the text moving across the screen.

We then personally introduce the key student volunteers responsible for the organization and implementation of the children’s activities. Jamie walks us through the morning procedures for volunteers, from checking in and receiving proper identification to meeting the children for breakfast. Patrick welcomes us into his arts and crafts room, where the children are busy making handmade notebooks with decorative cross covers. He speaks on the importance of providing the children with a creative outlet to express their individual identities.

Teresa is responsible for the operation of the computer lab, where children have access to online activities that improve their typing, math, and general computer skills. One of the goals of this portion of the promotional video was to draw attention to the lack of resources available to the students, noting that they occasionally have more children than computers. The promotional video aimed to not only attract volunteers, but benefactors as well.

Interviews with members of Grace United Methodist Church, the hosting church of the program, revealed the true benefit of the organization to both the children and volunteers. The introduction of the program to the church provided a facility for the children to gather, as well as an impactful local mission project for the church. The once-small congregation was able to upgrade their program and facilities, allowing for their participation in all areas of missional support within their community.

The bonds between the children and volunteers are clearly visible throughout the video. The testimonies of the volunteers speaking on their involvement in the program provides insight into the mutualistic relationship between the volunteers and the children. The opportunity to make a difference for the next generation of minds within the community is much more accessible to the Tulsa population than many would think.