A nonprofit and affiliate of the National NeighborWorks Association, Home Matters, is the client for this year’s Bateman team competition.

Every year, five public relations students compete on Loyola’s Bateman team, which participates in an annual national case study competition conducted by the Public Relations Student Society of America. These students are given the opportunity to apply public relations skills outside the classroom and execute a full public relations campaign.

This year’s Bateman team includes public relations seniors NiRey Reynolds, Katie Collier, Kenny Motley, Martin Quintero, and public relations junior Chelsea Cunningham.

They have partnered with Providence Community Housing and the Make it Right Foundation, two nonprofit organizations in New Orleans affiliated with Home Matters. Home Matters’ goal is to raise awareness of the importance of homes to both local and national communities.

Loyola’s Bateman team plans to work with Providence to launch an educational bingo afternoon for senior citizens and a volunteer opportunity for Loyola students.  Volunteers would help evaluate Providence’s progress developing housing units and supporting affordable homeownership for post-Katrina New Orleans residents.

The Bateman team’s work will be centered around the Uptown neighborhood.

Collier said that during the month of February, Bateman will be working on an affordable housing campaign.

“We’re trying to educate our pre-targeted audiences of millennials, young moms and baby boomers on the importance of home and the correlation of home to social issues, such as education, public health, public safety and economic development,” Collier said.

Cathy Rogers, the team’s advisor, attributes their hard work to their drive.

“They know they’re dealing with leaders in the community and reporters and nonprofits,” Rogers said. “First of all, that makes them step up and have higher standards than they would if it was just a student project.”

Rogers also acknowledged the pressure her students may feel from the Bateman team’s track record. In addition to taking home its eighth national title in the 2014 competition, the team has also advanced to the national finals 13 out of the past 14 years.

“I don’t think anybody wants to be the first team who’s not in the top three in a long time,” Rogers said.

Loyola’s Bateman team will be participating in ‘Geaux Hard for Home’ day on Feb. 24. with an educational panel in Monroe Library about housing efforts and issues in the city, along with educating the New Orleans public through other presentations and collaborations with organizations on campus.

Anyone can participate in ‘Geaux Hard for Home’ day by tweeting using the hashtag #homematters.

“I think the number one thing is the real life experience of trying to come up with a research-based strategy for their campaign, actually doing it, and then they have to know the results,” Rogers said.