As the past artistic director of her own dance studio and organizer of numerous cultural initiatives, Senator Elizabeth Hubley knows the challenge involved in making an artistic idea successful and sustainable.

When her office started planning for a new website, it seemed natural to support students who are working to find a similar fit between creativity and enterprise. Senator Hubley contacted the Interactive Multimedia program at Holland College in Charlottetown, a program that focuses on the visual and technical design of websites and on-screen media.

Collaborating with program instructor Patrick Ledwell, Senator Hubley's office developed a request for proposals for the program and invited the students to submit plans for developing her on-line communication. Working individually and in groups, the students put together packages that included a visual design recommendation, a timeline for site construction, and a draft budget.

After reviewing the submissions with her staff, the Senator spent an afternoon visiting with the students at the Atlantic Technology Centre to talk with them about their ideas. After the visit, she remarked how interesting it was to sit in on the process and to "learn firsthand how a website is put together."

"I was greatly impressed by the multimedia arts program, and the talents and capabilities of the students," Senator Hubley noted. "The learning environment is very intimate and collaborative, and all of the work I was shown sparked with creativity." She also found that "selecting one proposal over the others was not an easy task."

The site recommendation submitted by Lauren McKinney was chosen as the winning proposal. Ms. McKinney has been offered a design contract and will be developing the site over the next months, as her first professional web design.

The collaboration was a highly positive one for both Senator Hubley and the Interactive Multimedia program. "Nearing graduation, students are working to bridge their educational experience and professional design practice," said program instructor Patrick Ledwell. "The collaboration with Senator Hubley has helped them to make this connection, and to explore how they will fuse their creativity with real project requests."

The partnership allowed the Senator to continue her active engagement with educational issues, and to find out more about how Holland College is contributing to the Island's creative economy. "Having my own Senate website designed and built by students, as part of their program, is a welcome opportunity to support Holland College."

In this picture: Senator Hubley and Patrick Ledwell, instructor of the Interactive Multimedia program.