URI STUDENTS COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM - ATTEMPT TO BREAK WORLD RECORD ON MAY 9th

Kingston, R.I.— On Tuesday, May 9, 2017, students enrolled in Social Media for Marketing at The
University of Rhode Island, who formed the social media marketing agency C.R.E.A.T.E., will attempt to
break the Guinness World Record for the longest chain of paper hearts. The attempt to break the world
record will take place in the URI Memorial Union Gallery at 9:30AM. It is the final event in a larger
campaign that was designed to help counter violent extremism in the United States.

Each heart represents one challenge that was undertaken as part of the Rhody Ripple campaign. The
Rhody Ripple campaign is all about how little acts to include and connect with others can add up to
make a big difference. The paper heart chain provides a physical marker of individual efforts to include
and connect over the past six weeks.

C.R.E.A.T.E has launched various challenges on social media and at events on campus to motivate people
to get involved and provide an alternative, positive narrative about inclusion, hope, and empowerment
on social media. The campaign, and the related events, target the silent majority - people who oppose
violent extremism but are not active in prevention efforts. C.R.E.A.T.E. believes that ripples of inclusion
that originate from the people in Rhode Island - the Rhody Ripple - can inspire a movement that reduces
social exclusions and marginalization.

The challenges included: posting a selfie with a stranger and noting one thing you have in common,
making someone smile, and sharing the love with someone. The challenges use a hashtag,
#WhatchaGot, to encourage people to tag their friends to participate in the challenges. The goal is to
keep the ripple going, and to include and connect with as many members of the community as possible.

Social change that makes people feel included is important because feeling excluded is one of the key
drivers of violent extremism.

April LaFreniere, a senior from North Attleboro, Massachusetts explained, “This campaign has the
potential to spread throughout the entire country. If everyone works together to encourage inclusion,
we can make a big difference!”

There will be one more chance to come interact with the C. R. E. A. T. E. team and participate in a Rhody
Ripple Challenge offline: May 6th at the 16 th annual Spring Festival at the University of Rhode Island.
The festival will be held in the URI Botanical Gardens and the Fine Arts Commuter Parking Lot from 9:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. C.R.E.A.T.E., an agency focused on change that was formed as part of the class project,
will have great giveaways and a chance to do a challenge and add to their chain of paper hearts.

Join C.R.E.A.T.E on May 6 and on social media to show us #WhatchaGot. Helps the students of
C.R.E.A.T.E. make history. Create a ripple that makes a difference in the world.

Follow our campaign!
Twitter: @RhodyRipple ■ Facebook: www.facebook.com/RhodyRipple ■ Blog: http://Create URI.blogspot.com

Video
bit.ly/rrchallenge

For more information please contact George Maris by phone: (401) 742-8437 or email:
george_maris@my.uri.edu .

About C.R.E.A.T.E.
C.R.E.A.T.E (Choose Resilience Empower All Teach Empathy) is a social media agency started at The
University of Rhode Island in a Social Media for Marketing class. Partnered with the Department of
Homeland Security and EdVenture Partners, the agency focuses its efforts on inclusion, hope, and
empowerment. The campaign tagline, Rhody Ripple, adapted from the Robert F. Kennedy quote,
paraphrased - acts to improve the lot of others create a tiny ripple of hope, and collective ripples can
build a current that can sweep down walls of oppression and resistance.

All students in URI’s Social Media for Marketing class took on different areas of specialization to
prepare the entire P2P marketing challenge:
Agency Coordinator: Emily Whittum (Senior, East Providence, R.I.)
Advertising team: Liz Rogers, Team Leader (Senior, Burrillville, R.I.); Patrick Crossan (Junior,
Hillsborough, N.J.); Ryan Donnelly (Junior, Warwick, R.I.); James Juliani (Junior, Woodbury, CT); Alexa
Mitchell (Junior, Southington, CT); Taylor Ross (Junior, Mapleville, R.I.); Peter Vaz (Pawtucket, R.I.)
Strategy & Implementation team: Jessica Kosak, Team Leader (Senior, Hanover, MA); Gwendlyn Chai
(Narragansett, R.I.); Michael Felton (Brewster, N.Y.); Amanda Levendusky (Senior, Brick, N.J.); Peter
Parente (Junior, South Kingstown, R.I.)
PR Team: George Maris, Team Leader (Senior, South Kingstown, R.I.); Nicole Cotoia (Junior, Smithfield,
R.I.); Anna Davidoff (Senior, Newton, MA); April LaFreniere (Senior, North Attleboro, MA); Philip Schnell
(Senior, Narragansett, R.I.); Becca Snell (Senior, Narragansett, R.I.)
Research and Presentations Team: Dante Lamb, Team Leader (Junior, Cape Town, South Africa); D.J.
Davis (Senior, Stamford, CT); Jacob Fabris (Senior, Long Valley, N.J.); Billy Walthouse (Senior,
Longmeadow, MA)
Finance: Dana Wood, Team Leader (Senior, Putnam, CT)

About EdVenture Partners
EdVenture Partners is an organization dedicated to developing innovative industry-education
partnership programs. These experiential learning opportunities provide hands-on, real-world
experience to students in tandem with providing marketing, recruiting and social impact solutions at
colleges, universities and high schools to clients. EdVenture Partners has designed and managed
programs at over 800 schools in North America and internationally.
Find out more at
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