Laura March ’07 ‘13g and Stuart Shapiro ‘13g are two graduate students who applied their creativity and love for the University to help mobilize the Penn State community during the fall of 2011.

Working with a timeline of only six days―right before the Nittany Lions were to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a home football game―Laura and Stuart helped galvanize the community to organize the first annual Blue Out, with the goal of raising awareness and funds for combating child abuse.

At the time, Laura was taking a class that explored how art is used to make a difference. She thought the idea to “blue out” Beaver Stadium might be a good way to show collective support for victims and survivors of abuse in the face of challenging circumstances. Laura and Stuart reached out to coordinate closely with Penn State’s athletic department and helped unify the campus to wear blue, the color of ribbons worn in support of child abuse awareness.

The students worked around the clock to get the word out using a variety of social media platforms. Laura designed an event shirt worn by many students in the stadium, and ultimately more than $47,000 was raised and donated to Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR).

Their efforts have contributed to what the school hopes is a tradition for years to come; the second annual “Blue Out” is planned for the September 22, 2012 football game against Temple University. More information and details surrounding this year’s event and t-shirt are available at www.blueout.org.