Internet & Web-based Technology students Jordan Foster and Eric Glass completed a resume-boosting project when they launched a new website for Stray Paws Rescue in late December: StrayPawsRescue.com. The two students will graduate from Ranken in May.
Stray Paws Rescue is a nonprofit, foster-based rescue, which aims to improve the lives of abused and homeless pets in the City of Saint Louis. They pull animals from high-kill shelters and work to place them in loving, permanent homes. Stray Paws also feeds North City strays and helps to find lost and dumped pets and get them off the streets.
In addition, Stray Paws provides spay and neuter services and any necessary medical care for pets. They work diligently to educate the public on the importance of pet sterilization, responsible pet ownership and the humane treatment of animals.
Jordan was recruited to complete this project through employment agency Creatives on Call, where he had recently posted his resume. Because Stray Paws wanted the site to be built using the WordPress platform, Jordan decided to work with his classmate, Eric, who already had experience with WordPress.
Both students are dog lovers – Jordan has two, while Eric can’t currently have pets in his apartment – and so they declined the payment that Stray Paws offered them, choosing to donate their time instead.
To meet the needs of the rescue, the website had to be built from scratch, without using templates. This took more time, but allowed them to do exactly what their client wanted. The project took a total of about 7 weeks.
Building the website was both fun and frustrating, according to the students. They enjoyed learning about the rescue process, and learning the stories of the dogs that were up for adoption. “I wanted every dog,” Eric said. A server crash challenged them to keep the project on track, but a well-timed new WordPress release solved problems they’d been encountering.
“I learned a lot about WordPress from Eric,” Jordan reflected as they approached the website’s launch date. Through the project, he strengthened his understanding of HTML and CSS, helping him get ready for the job market after graduation.
Eric found that working on the project from start to finish helped him to get more comfortable with WordPress, and he enjoyed working on the color scheme to give the site a consistent, professional look.
To learn more about the Internet & Web-based Technology program at Ranken, click here.
To see the dogs available for adoption through Stray Paws, click here.