Indian River State College Collaborates with Adobe to Build Student Brands on Day One

July 22, 2021 Suzanne Seldes

FORT PIERCE, FL— Indian River State College (IRSC) has furthered its commitment to advancing digital literacy skills by becoming the first community college in the nation to comprehensively offer Adobe Creative Cloud applications, without cost, to students, faculty, and staff on all IRSC campuses. Beginning in August, students in all disciplines can access Adobe Creative Cloud, providing new opportunities to transform their classroom learning, creatively build personal brands, and gain an edge in the modern, competitive workplace. The College is among a select group of colleges and universities working with Adobe to shape the future of digital literacy within global higher education.

“Students at Indian River State College now have the opportunity to become fully trained on one of the most-used creative platforms in the world while they are still in college,” states IRSC President Dr. Timothy Moore. “When an IRSC student completes their studies, they will leave the College with an unmatched education coupled with ready-for-workforce digital literacy skills, little or no debt, and a personal brand conveyed through compelling storytelling—with words, imagery, sound and movement.”

Indian River State College serves a diverse population of approximately 26,000 students each year. Students come from both urban and rural areas, more than one-third are the first in their families to attend college, and 42% are Pell Grant recipients. IRSC is deeply committed to enhancing and growing wrap-around services that are essential for student success. As an Adobe Creative Campus, IRSC can provide all students, regardless of background, with cutting-edge creative tools that enrich their educational experience and give them a competitive workforce advantage.

“Everywhere we look—whether it's entertainment, education, or enterprise—creativity and content are fueling the global economy,” said Mala Sharma, V.P. & G.M. of Creative Cloud Product Marketing & Community at Adobe. “Regardless of the career someone may choose, digital literacy and creative storytelling will continue to not only be necessary but expected. This is why creative skills are of immense importance for the future workforce. As the students at Indian River State College have access to Adobe programs and are taught essential creativity and digital literacy skills, doors will open to a brighter future and prepare them to thrive in a changing world.”

The Adobe Creative Campus supports the transformation of learning and assessment. Faculty can use the tools to help teach creative and persuasive digital communication skills throughout their curricula. IRSC Faculty Developers are already integrating Creative Cloud tools into academic lesson plans and assignments to encourage students to find new ways to present ideas, scholarship and research. IRSC will collaborate with other Adobe Creative Campuses, sharing ideas and innovations to expand digital literacy and help ensure student success.

“A personal brand is the business card of the 21st century,” explains Michael Hageloh, IRSC Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. “From cosmetology to nursing, from business to the sciences, building a personal brand is essential in today’s working world. Pairing Adobe's Creative Campus offering with our existing Microsoft licensing gives IRSC students the ultimate brand-building career toolkit. And, IRSC is the first college anywhere to deploy such a comprehensive toolkit across the entire institution to all programs, students, and employees, with no cost or fees.”

To learn more, visit irsc.edu/creativecampus, or if you are interested in learning more about the Adobe Creative Campus program, visit adobecreativecampus.com.

About Indian River State College

A leader in education and innovation, Indian River State College transforms lives by offering high-quality, affordable and accessible education to the residents of Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties through traditional and online delivery. The College—ranked second-most-affordable in the nation— serves 26,000 students annually and offers more than 100 programs leading to Bachelor's degrees, Associate degrees, technical certificates and applied technology diplomas. It is a recipient of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges.