Three Ohio Northern University public relations students, including one from Columbus Grove, are partnering with the 2010 U.S. Census in order to win a national campaign competition.

Allison Gribben, a junior public relations major from East Palestine, Jamienne Scott, a junior public relations and Spanish major from Columbus Grove, and Stephanie Rowe, a junior public relations major from Waldo, are participating in the National Bateman Case Study Competition sponsored by the Public Relations Student Society of America.

College teams from across the nation annually compete to develop and implement the best public relations campaign for a client through the National Bateman Case Study Competition. This year's Bateman client is the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau's involvement with the Bateman competition is part of a larger effort by the Census Bureau to increase participation in the 2010 Census.

Since the first day of winter quarter, Gribben, Scott and Rowe have researched the U.S. Census and Hardin County extensively in order to create an effective, targeted campaign. The campaign's implementation phase began on Feb. 1 and continues until March 1. Their campaign's awareness, acceptance and action objectives drove them to create several publications that can be seen around campus this month. Posters, mailers, doorhangers, a Facebook page, PSAs, student e-mails and an article in the ONU student newspaper have all been distributed in an effort to make the Ohio Northern University and Ada community aware of the 2010 Census. Their campaign slogan is "Small town, Small school, Big impact."

College students are a "hard-to-count" population, and students must fill out the Census form themselves when it is distributed on campus in April or May. "Working on this campaign has taught me so much about the Census and why it's important for college students," Gribben said. "We just want to get the word out that, as an ONU college student, you really should fill out your form and be counted."

After compiling their campaign information into a detailed book, the students will send the book into PRSSA headquarters where the judges will review their strategies and tactics and select a national winner.