Boise State Media Students Partner With Idaho Foster Care Nonprofit on Donation Campaign
Boise State University public relations students in Idaho are putting their classroom skills to work for a real-world cause, partnering with the nonprofit Foster + Heart to raise donations for foster children across the state. The service-learning project, organized through the Department of Media’s senior capstone course, is focused on increasing support for the organization’s Essentials Project — a program that provides clothing, shoes, and comfort items to children and teens entering foster care.
Background: A Capstone Course With Real-World Impact
Students enrolled in PR 451, the public relations senior capstone class at Boise State, are required to apply the media and communications skills they have developed throughout their coursework to a practical campaign. This semester, that work is serving Idaho’s most vulnerable children. The students researched, planned, and are currently implementing a full public relations campaign in partnership with Foster + Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Idaho children in foster care.
The Essentials Project, which sits at the center of the campaign, addresses a specific need: when children enter foster care, they often arrive with little to nothing. Providing new clothing, shoes, and personal care items helps young people feel safe, valued, and cared for during what can be one of the most difficult transitions of their young lives. The campaign aims to increase donations to that effort directly.
How the Campaign Works: Donations and Community Events
Boise State faculty, staff, and students can contribute by donating gift cards for clothing, make-up, or food — in any amount — or by bringing new essential items to the main office in the Communication Building on the Boise State campus. All donations collected go directly to Foster + Heart and are distributed to foster children as part of their essentials bag.
For one of their key campaign objectives, the PR students organized a community fundraiser called Spring Into Giving, scheduled for Saturday, April 25, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Dee’s Ice Cream Trolley in Boise’s Hyde Park neighborhood. A portion of proceeds from the event will go toward purchasing essential items for foster children. Community members who bring a donation to the event will be entered to win a dinner at Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill and a night’s stay at The Riverside Hotel.
Hyde Park, one of Boise’s most beloved neighborhood districts, provides a family-friendly setting for the fundraiser — making it an accessible opportunity for Treasure Valley residents of all ages to contribute to a meaningful local cause.
Impact on Ada County Families and Foster Youth
Foster care is a topic that touches families and communities throughout Ada County and across Idaho. Children entering the foster care system often face sudden placement changes, separation from family, and uncertainty about the future. Organizations like Foster + Heart work to ease that transition by ensuring young people have basic necessities — items that many families take for granted.
The Essentials Project reflects a straightforward, community-driven model: neighbors helping neighbors, with donated goods going directly to children in need without a complicated government bureaucracy in between. By involving university students in the fundraising effort, the campaign also gives the next generation of media professionals hands-on experience working alongside nonprofits that serve Idaho’s most at-risk youth.
The project is a strong example of how academic institutions like Boise State can connect their students with the broader Ada County community in ways that produce tangible benefits. Readers interested in other community-minded efforts at Boise State may also want to follow news about the Student Union Building’s upcoming renaming in a Westmark Credit Union sponsorship agreement, which reflects continued campus evolution.
What Comes Next: How to Get Involved
Ada County residents who want to support Idaho foster children through this campaign have two easy options. First, donations of gift cards or new essential items can be dropped off at the Communication Building on the Boise State campus. Second, attending the Spring Into Giving event at Dee’s Ice Cream Trolley in Hyde Park on April 25 — from noon to 3 p.m. — allows residents to enjoy an afternoon out while directly benefiting Foster + Heart’s work.
Those interested in learning more about Foster + Heart or the Essentials Project can visit the nonprofit’s website for additional information on how to give. The Boise State Department of Media’s capstone program continues to create opportunities for students to sharpen real-world skills while serving the Treasure Valley community.