A Tucson nonprofit that helps veterans reintegrate into civilian life expanded its community reach this fall with support from University of Arizona advertising students.

Through a semester-long partnership with the UA’s Eller College of Management, BaseCamp for Veterans Inc. worked with students in the MKTG 425 Applied Advertising course to develop a comprehensive campaign aimed at increasing awareness and support for its equine-assisted reintegration programs for veterans and their families.

BaseCamp for Veterans is a nonprofit founded by Deborah Plum and Theo Windish, built on their backgrounds in community-focused work and a commitment to supporting those who served in the U.S. military. Their motivation came from a growing recognition that veterans — and especially their families — often lack comprehensive, long-term support systems during reintegration.

BCI’s mission is to address that gap by fostering personal and professional growth while providing a sustainable path back into civilian life.

The organization’s core offering is a weeklong immersive equine-assisted program in which veterans work with mustangs and participate in horsemanship clinics. Mustangs are a key part of the program, as their untamed nature mirrors the complex emotional transitions many veterans face.

Working with the horses boosts confidence, focus and self-awareness, and participants work alongside skilled trainers and equine therapists. During the program, veterans and their families live on-site at White Stallion Ranch, where the environment becomes part of the healing process.

These experiences are designed to help veterans heal, build resilience and regain confidence as they transition out of military service.

After completing the initial program, veterans and their families can continue to engage with BCI through monthly equine therapy clinics, peer mentorship opportunities and an annual conference.

Over the course of the semester, 20 students in the applied advertising course worked with BCI to develop the campaign, with the class operating like a professional agency with four departments: public relations, creative, operations and marketing.

The public relations team managed outreach and storytelling. The creative team developed visuals, website mockups and campaign branding. The operations team oversaw coordination, scheduling and event planning, including a Dec. 2 gathering at Union Public House. Marketing team members focused on research, audience targeting and community engagement.

“Our partnership with BCI this semester gives us all a chance to connect with the Tucson community and create meaningful impact,” said Eller student and team lead director Audrey Pitzer.

Members of the class met with BCI staff, observed the organization’s work and expanded its visibility through outreach and campaign development.

“As we continue to plan and conduct outreach to expand visibility, the Tucson community has been remarkably supportive and instrumental in bringing our ideas to life,” Pitzer said. “I am excited to see everything come together and to contribute to a meaningful impact for BCI.”

Students said working directly with BCI provided real-world experience and insight into a career in advertising.

“The opportunity to be our advertising team’s operations director has provided me with incredibly valuable tangible experience within the advertising world,” said Teagan Schreiber, calling BCI’s mission “noble.”

Students also planned promotional events and built brand identity for BCI, with the project designed to give them professional-level experience while contributing to veterans’ well-being.

“The partnership with BCI has allowed students to show off their creative abilities through websites, posters, mockups, research and more,” said Paige Stockford.

Pitzer said the campaign required students to collaborate across departments and manage the project from planning through execution.

“Working on this project has been such a great way to experience the full range of activities in an advertising agency and apply what we’ve learned in class,” she said.

Matthew Lewis is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact him at mclewis95@arizona.edu.

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