Hudson County Schools of Technology (HCST) students are gaining real-world advertising and marketing experience due to the school’s partnership with Buckingham Adult Medical Day Care Center in Prospect Park. James Cruz, an administrator at Buckingham, works closely with HCST Commercial and Advertising Art students, empowering them to take on real-world projects for the Center.
HCST is grateful for this partnership and has named Buckingham Adult Medical Day Care Center as the district’s 2024 Business Partner of the Year. The Center provides services to members of the community who are elderly and/or disabled, with a mission to help these members remain part of the community and maintain their independence and dignity.
Interviewing members and staff, taking photos and videos, and rebranding and redesigning the Center’s website are some of the tasks HCST students completed on behalf of Buckingham. They have done so under the direction of Cruz, who also teaches the students how to work on advertising materials and provides broad insight into the marketing industry.
“James has been such a strong support and wealth of knowledge for our students,” said HCST instructor Joseph Guerrero. “The students love working with him, and he has offered an invaluable learning experience for our students.”
“The students are full of love and compassion for each of our members and show a true desire to learn what we are about,” said Cruz. “This collaboration allowed them the opportunity to experience first-hand and in-person the services that we provide to the senior and disabled communities and the positive impact that we have on them. Equally as important is the contribution, insight and forward thinking that they brought to our Center. I can’t express in words the amount of gratitude that we have for all their hard work and dedication. They are true ‘partners.’”
