Are you ready for a challenge? 

Since 2013, students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the School of Information Science, along with other talented students across the University of South Carolina have come together with one mission — to conquer CreateAthon@USC. With only 24 hours on the clock, students work in teams to create the best integrated communication campaigns for their nonprofit clients.

Soon, we’ll turn the USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications into a creative hub for 24+ nonstop hours.  Over 100 of the most talented USC students will be tasked with crafting high-impact campaigns for nonprofit partners, alongside USC alumni industry pros. For students it is a chance to showcase their creativity, skills and collaborate with experts, to make a real difference in the S.C. community. Are you up for the challenge?

What exactly is CreateAthon?  

It’s an all-volunteer, pro bono effort that benefits everyone involved: Advancing the causes of deserving nonprofits, ramping up student skills and bringing professional mentors and students together in an experience that is intense, challenging, rewarding — and fun.  Read more about how we do all this.

The elements that make this event successful are the real-world environment, collaboration between creative students and mentors — and fierce competition.   

Something magical happens in this 24-hour marathon — an energy that fuels and produces some excellent communication products for the clients. 

Once the 24 hours are up, students must drop their pencils, close their computers and pitch their campaigns directly to the nonprofits. These organizations leave the event with tangible communication and marketing materials to further their efforts. 

Volunteers are exhausted from working 24 hours with no sleep but leave with a portfolio booster and the feeling of knowing they are part of a select group who have conquered CreateAthon.  

Our success is contagious

For the first five years, our students and volunteer mentors gave every ounce of their talent for 24+ hours, creating pro bono work for Carolina nonprofits with a value of more than $1.1 million.

Today CreateAthon@USC has become a proving ground for students where they have the opportunity to hone their skills and prove they are ready to be employed by the most prestigious advertising and marketing companies in the U.S. More than 1,000 students have taken the challenge and have helped more than 90 nonprofit organizations.

That’s a lot of good. Just ask any of the nonprofits we helped, and see highlights of the creative work from past years.

CreateAthon@USC begins before the event

Of course, 24 hours isn’t enough time to create an entire campaign from start to finish. There is a lot of activity months before the event getting everything prepped for the event.

There is even a group of students led by Haylee Mercado of Sports and Entertainment Management who create an events plan to provide nutrition, entertainment, security and organization to keep the volunteers going and the creative juices flowing through the marathon.