The purpose of an Applied Learning poster is to summarize your experience for an audience that might not be familiar with the field. To be effective, the poster must be visually attractive. The presenter's aim is to create a poster that stands out from other posters and captures the audience's attention. 

Below are recommendations for creating posters for both Farmingdale State College's IGNITE Symposium and off-campus academic conferences. These instructions are intended to be interdisciplinary, and therefore, they might have to be modified for specific disciplines or projects.

Content

Content should be of high quality and follow professional and disciplinary standards.

Posters should include the following content sections:

1. Project Title. The title should include specific language that focuses on the key facets of the applied learning experience. 

2. Introduction. Include the student names, company names, locations, position, and dates. Also note if this was for a course and what course it was for. In addition, describe how you secured the experience. 

3. Abstract. The abstract should provide a concise summary of what was done and learned in this experience. 

4. Learning Objectives. List 2 to 5 learning objectives that you had planned to achieve by completing this experience.

5. Description of Key Responsibilities. Summarize the major responsibilities, activities, and project(s) completed during the experience. 

6. Application of the experience. Explain how your work at FSC has helped with this experience. Link to relevant courses, theories, and concepts to their applications within the experience. 

7. Lessons Learned. Explain what you learned about the industry, the company, the career process, and yourself.

8. Acknowledgments. Recognize the people who helped you, including the site supervisor, the course instructors, mentors. Include full titles in acknowledgments. In addition, acknowledge funding sources. 

9. Visuals. Incorporate visual aids to illustrate key points, Be sure to label all visuals. Include; names, dates, and locations. 

10. Logos. Include site logo and FSC Logo. 

Technical Considerations

Program.Posters should be designed in PowerPoint using a single slide. To be printed by FSC, posters must follow specific design parameters. The page setup should be set as follows: 

- Height = 36"

-Width = 42"

Recommendations for Text

The text should communicate ideas clearly and succinctly. While the poster should include the above content items, it;s also important to limit the amount of text, as few people will read a poster that contains mostly text.

1. Avoid long sentences. 

2. Use the active voice. 

3. Additional information may be distrusted as supplemental handouts.

Please feel free to download our FSC Template. 

Poster Template

The purpose of a Civic Engagement poster is to summarize your experience for an audience that might not be familiar with the field. This is an opportunity for students to make a public presentation of a service-learning, community-based research, or co-curricular civic engagement project.  To be effective, the poster must be visually attractive. The presenter's aim is to create a poster that stands out from other posters and captures the audience's attention. 

Below are recommendations for creating posters for both Farmingdale State College's IGNITE Symposium and off-campus academic conferences. These instructions are intended to be interdisciplinary, and therefore, they might have to be modified for specific disciplines or projects.

Content

Content should be of high quality and follow professional and disciplinary standards.

Posters should include the following content sections:

1. Project Title. Give the poster a clear title related to community-focused experiential learning or civic engagement.

2. Abstract. Include a brief yet sharply focused summary of the community-focused project.

3. Background/Context. Provide background information on the issue addressed, including its social or community context. Also, list the goals of the project and mention (if applicable) the project's relationship to a course or a co-curricular program.

4. Activities/Implementation. Outline elements of the project implementation process. Show how the implementation allowed you to (a) explore and apply concepts, theories, and skills learning in class to issues affecting the community and/or (b) take informed and responsible action, working collaboratively with others to address issues faced by the community. Also, name the community partners for the project.

5. Outcomes/Impact. List specific, measurable project outcomes - academic, civic learning, personal growth, etc. 

6. Discussion/Reflection. Comment on the outcomes of the project. Share what might be done, or done differently, if the project were to be repeated or extended.

7. References. Cite literature and media sources, following guidelines appropriate with your academic discipline.

8. Acknowledgments. Recognize the people who helped you, including the site supervisor, the course instructors, mentors. Include full titles in acknowledgments. In addition, acknowledge funding sources. 

9. Visuals. Incorporate visual aids to illustrate key points, Be sure to label all visuals. Include; names, dates, and locations. 

10. Logos. Include site logo and FSC Logo. 

Technical Considerations

Program.Posters should be designed in PowerPoint using a single slide. To be printed by FSC, posters must follow specific design parameters. The page setup should be set as follows: 

- Height = 36"

- Width = 42"

Recommendations for Text

The text should communicate ideas clearly and succinctly. While the poster should include the above content items, it;s also important to limit the amount of text, as few people will read a poster that contains mostly text.

1. Avoid long sentences. 

2. Use the active voice. 

3. Additional information may be distrusted as supplemental handouts.

Please feel free to download a template below. 

Adopted from Barry University. 2024.

Poster Template

The purpose of a Creative Works presentation is to communicate a central idea, narrative, question, or creative objective through an original work. To be effective, the work must be thoughtfully composed, clearly framed, and professionally presented.

Below are recommendations for preparing a Creative Works submission for Farmingdale State College’s IGNITE Symposium and for off-campus showcases, festivals, or portfolio-based conferences. These recommendations should be adjusted depending on whether your work is a concept/proposal, a draft, or a final piece.

Content

Creative Works should be of high quality and follow professional and disciplinary standards.Creative Works submissions should include the following content sections (as applicable):

1. Project Title
The title should reflect the central concept, theme, message, or creative goal of the work.

2. Information
Include the names of the student(s) and mentor(s), and the program, course, lab, studio, or experience connected to the work.

3. Artist/Creator Statement
This section provides a brief synopsis of the work. It should explain:

-The purpose or creative intention
-The central theme, question, or message
-The audience the work is designed for
-The form/medium and why it was chosen

4. Context / Inspiration
This section should explain the background of the project, such as:

-Creative influences (writers, artists, designers, genres, movements, etc.)
-Cultural, historical, or disciplinary context
-Prior works or scholarship that informed the project
-The problem or communication challenge the project addresses

5. Process / Method
This section should describe how the work was created. Depending on the medium, this may include:

-Drafting, revision, and workshop processes
-Design thinking process
-Storyboarding or scripting
-Iteration, critique, prototyping, or user testing
-Tools, software, or production techniques used

6. Final Work / Key Features
This section should highlight the most important elements of the completed work, such as:

-Narrative structure, voice, or key themes (for writing)
-Design choices and communication strategy (for visual communication)
-Interaction model, user journey, or accessibility considerations (for IDX)
-Key scenes, images, or moments (for media-based projects)

7. Reflection / Impact
This section should explain what the work accomplishes and why it matters. It may include:

-What you learned through the creative process
-How your work responds to your original goals
-How the audience is expected to experience the work
-Future development plans (publication, portfolio use, expanded version, etc.)

8. References / Influences (if applicable)
If your work draws on scholarly sources, published works, datasets, or creative influences, list them using appropriate citation conventions.

9. Acknowledgments
Recognize people who supported the work, including mentors, course instructors, collaborators, studios, and any funding sources. Include full titles when possible.

10. Visuals / Media Documentation
Creative Works must be presented with professional documentation, which may include:

-Images, design boards, or mockups
-Screenshots, UI flows, or prototypes
-Video clips or trailers
-Excerpts of writing or formatted pages
-Installation photos or staged presentations
-All visuals should be labeled when appropriate (title, date, medium, location, version number, etc.).

11. Logos
Include the FSC logo and any partner organization or site logos if applicable.

Technical Considerations

Format
Creative Works may be presented in one or more of the following formats (depending on the category):

-Poster-style layout (recommended for visual and design-based work)
-Display board or gallery-style presentation
-Digital slideshow (PowerPoint or Google Slides)
-Prototype demonstration (IDX or interactive projects)
-Short reading or performance (for narrative or creative writing)
-Video-based presentation (for film, animation, digital storytelling)

Digital Requirements
All digital work should be clearly labeled and easy to access during the symposium. If applicable, include:

-QR code to portfolio, video, or prototype
-Stable links (no restricted access)
-Offline backup (PDF, screenshots, exported video)