Latest news with #AmazingRace-style
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Shaping marketing's next generation
THE ability to connect with and understand people will remain fundamental to the marketing profession, even as the industry and technologies continue to rapidly evolve. President of the Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) Claudian Navin Stanislaus affirms that while marketers need to keep up with new skills, they must always stay rooted in marketing's core values. 'Tools will keep changing. It was digital yesterday, it is artificial intelligence today, and tomorrow it will be something else. It's not about mastering the latest technology for its own sake, but rather using these tools to connect with people,' he told StarBiz. 'Understanding people is still at the heart of what we do. This applies not just in how we market to consumers, but also in learning to work with people across teams, agencies, and clients, because marketing isn't a solo act – it's a contact sport.' Instilling these foundational principles in young marketers today is thus critical to shaping the course of the industry's future. For this reason, the MAA has been focused on efforts to engage with the next generation of marketers and steadily expanding its initiatives with higher learning institutes and their marketing and communications faculties. 'We're actively integrating brands into final-year projects, exploring internship placements, sharing industry expertise for talks, and opening up mentorship pathways,' Stanislaus said. 'Our goal is to bridge the gap between academic proficiency and industry readiness.' One of its recent initiatives aimed at nurturing future-ready advertising talent was the Trailblazers: The Ad-venture Challenge, an action-packed, people-focused competition which brought together university students, agency professionals, and industry veterans from across Malaysia. The Amazing Race-style event, designed to recreate the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of the marketing field, saw teams of students and marketing professionals dash between multiple locations to complete industry-related challenges. At each pit stop, participants were given creative tasks that put their teamwork and improvisation skills to the test, with challenges involving rapid-fire ideation, multitasking, delivering ideas under client-like scrutiny, and knowledge of industry regulations. For the students, it was also a unique opportunity to learn from chief marketing heads of RHB Banking Group, CelcomDigi, Grab, and MRT Corp, who served as mentors for each team and offered valuable guidance and encouragement throughout the competition. 'Both the mentors and judges were genuinely surprised by how quickly the students dissected some challenges and how instinctively they integrated tech, all while racing across town,' Stanislaus recalled. The competition culminated with both the champion and runner-up positions both won by university student teams. 'Seeing them take the top spots was a nice twist to the day. It sends a clear message about the bright future of our industry,' he said. He added that feedback for the event was overwhelmingly positive, with both students and seasoned marketers appreciating the chance to actively participate, interact and learn from each other. 'Several have already asked to be on the list for the next one, which tells us our intent had hit home.' On how industry players can further cultivate and attract fresh talent to the marketing and advertising field, Stanislaus shared that more efforts can go towards reaching both marketing students as well as young people who are still deciding on their career paths. 'At MAA, we work directly with universities to engage students already on the path to ensure they are well-prepared to enter the workforce with relevant skills and expectations,' he said. 'However, the reality is that most career choices are made before we even meet these students. By the time we encounter them, many of them are already on their chosen degree tracks. Yet this is often the first real chance we get to shape their perception of the industry.' The opportunity, he said, then lies in taking steps to create interest in marketing and advertising among students at an earlier stage. For instance, collaborations could be made with the Education Ministry to bring career talks into schools. 'That said, there's little point inspiring young minds if we can't offer enough opportunities for them when they graduate,' he added. 'It's a balance that requires alignment between industry, education, and government, and I can confidently say the MAA is ready to play its part.'
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Deaf and hard of hearing students bond through beach games in annual event
Olivia Eassie is one of just two students who are deaf or hard of hearing at Spectrum Community School in Saanich, B.C., but she says she's never been self-conscious about it. That's in large part thanks to the sense of community and empowerment she gets from local events, like the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Beach Day, which was held on Wednesday at Cadboro-Gyro Park in Saanich, a municipality in the Greater Victoria area. "My mom's even told me, don't be insecure about it — and I've told her: 'I'm not, I honestly never have been.' I mean, this makes me feel comfortable that I'm deaf when I'm here," Eassie said, looking around at a group of students playing tug-of-war. The beach day, which welcomed 85 deaf and hard of hearing students from across Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, along with teachers and parents, is an annual event hosted by the Greater Victoria School District. For more than 30 years, it's brought students from kindergarten to Grade 12 together with games and ice cream, in the hopes of them building friendships and support networks, said Megan Jantz, a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing in the district. At a time when teachers and parents across the province are calling for B.C. to send financial relief to school districts they say are facing increased funding pressures — and limited resources to meet the needs of students with disabilities — it's a welcome moment of celebration. "That's kind of our aim, to have fun, make connections, and for the kids to meet other kids like themselves — because typically they're [one of] like one or two only in a whole school," said Jantz. "They've said they just feel less alone and can be more their true self in environments and situations like this." In addition, the event helps students learn how others have overcome everyday challenges or advocated for themselves, she said. This year, students did carnival activities, undertook a braille scavenger hunt, chased down "Waldo" — which was Jantz, dressed in a candy-cane striped shirt and a pom-pom winter hat – and competed in an Amazing Race-style competition. The day ended with the three winners of the Amazing Race heaving a trophy over their heads during an awards ceremony, as onlookers raised their open palms, twisting their wrists — a raucous applause in American Sign Language. There were also local disability agencies on hand to let students and their families know about resources. Grade 11 student Eassie has been attending the beach day since she was in elementary school and met one of her closest friends, another girl with hearing loss, at the event years ago. Now, Eassie volunteers at the beach day. Eassie said seeing the faces of younger students light up while playing games or chatting lifts her own spirits. "You don't see a lot of other kids with cochlears, or having the same sort of experience that you had, but this place does that for you," said Eassie, who wears two cochlear implants tucked between her ears and braided hair. Earlier this week, educators and parents raised concerns about funding for disability services and other programs in schools. On Monday, a group of parents across the province rallied at the B.C. Legislature, calling for more funding for public education as numerous districts face budget shortfalls and the threat of looming cuts. Carolyn Howe, president of the Greater Victoria Teachers' Association, said only 70 per cent of the cost for running services for students with disabilities is covered by the province — which can lead to other school programs like music education being cut back. A survey released by the B.C. Teachers' Federation in its 2023-24 report found only 13 per cent of the province's teachers felt the needs of students with disabilities or diverse needs were being completely met. The annual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Beach Day is possible due to partial provincial funding, Jantz said. Although the funding is not currently under threat, she said the school district has limited resources. She is one of just three deaf and hard of hearing teachers providing in-school advocacy and support across the Greater Victoria School District, which she says leaves them "spread quite thin." Accessibility tools — like classroom assisted listening devices and interpreters — also come at a cost. "Funding is definitely hard, but we put a tiny bit of our budget to this [event] because we know the importance and value of this." Events like the beach day show the importance of pushing for these services, both in the classroom and out, she said. "I actually have graduated students who are in university and college asking me when they can come and volunteer because they see the value of the friendships that they've made here, the connections that they've made … just to see that they're not alone is huge," she said.
