Carleton University Students

Class Project Awakens a Passion for Palliative Care

By Emily Koch and Paige Kahkonen

Last fall we both took the same communications class which gave us the opportunity to build a Strategic Communications Plan for an organization we felt passionate about. We felt connected to the OutCare Foundation’s mission to make palliative care as comfortable and accessible as possible, so we chose to work with them over the semester, doing research and building a Strategic Communications plan tailored to their foundation.

We have to admit, palliative care was not a subject either of us had thought too much about before working with the OutCare Foundation - likely due to our age group. This is why we created a strategy that will help spread the word about the importance of palliative care and grow support for the OutCare Foundation to all ages. The strategies we provided largely focussed on online communications, such as website, social media, and electronic messaging.

Our work with the OutCare Foundation last fall inspired us to start up Koch and Kahkonen Communications (KKC). Our agency is made up of Emily Koch and Paige Kahkonen, the Co-Founders of KKC, and two soon-to-be graduates of Carleton University Journalism. We both share a love for entrepreneurship and communications, and with that our goal is to help other businesses and organizations grow.

KKC is privileged to be working with the OutCare Foundation, to ensure that their foundation is growing an online presence through various social media accounts, while staying true to the foundation’s core values and brand. We have already seen huge success with the OutCare OutDoors Campaign, live Facebook concerts with Dave Kalil, and at-home comedy shows in partnership with Living Room Laughs.

We are grateful to have been given this opportunity to help expand OutCare’s online presence.