Online School of Design, Sessions, Chosen by Actor Mariska Hargitay to Help With Programs Assisting Survivors of Sexual Assault

Sessions sponsors student graphic design competition to help Joyful Heart Foundation visually communicate its mission to synthesize all of the components of the healing process.

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 3, 2006 -- In an innovative partnership, Sessions, online school of design, recently sponsored a student design competition aimed at promoting the work of The Joyful Heart Foundation (“JHF”), founded in 2002 by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Golden Globe-winning actor, Mariska Hargitay.

Her work as Detective Olivia Benson led to her becoming a real life role-model and spokesperson for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She wanted to deepen her involvement with the issue and started JHF. Working hand in hand with rape-crisis centers and counselors, the Joyful Heart Foundation synthesizes all of the components of the healing process -- emotional, physical, and spiritual -- into one experience. After much-needed talk-therapy, survivors often need additional outlets to help them continue to heal. JHF is committed to finding and developing those other avenues.

Acknowledging the importance of the work of JHF, Sessions sponsored a student competition among its 2,000 students to help spread the word by creating a brochure that illustrates the mission, programs, and values of JHF. Sessions frequently partners its talented student designers with non-profit organizations with worthy goals, limited design budgets, and urgent communications needs. No fee is charged for the service to the non-profit organizations.

“Our student designers always enthusiastically support and participate in our competitions,” stated Doris Granatowski, Sessions CEO. “While the competitions provide a wonderful forum for students to showcase their work, it’s clear that their true motivation is to contribute in a meaningful way to the work of organizations such as JHF that make a difference.”

Ms. Hargitay was clear in her objective to present the positive, uplifting message and mission of JHF while also conveying the seriousness and importance of it.

"I knew this design objective would be difficult to capture, because I wanted to convey so much," says Ms. Hargitay. "But the work that came from Sessions' students was superb. We had to work very hard to narrow down the ten finalists to a winning entry. We couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome -- and we're receiving great feedback! We are deeply impressed with Sessions as a training ground for tomorrow's top designers."

The winner was Megan Johnson, a twenty-one year-old designer from Virginia, whose work was chosen as for its successful connection of nature, creativity, and healing. The winning entry can be seen at http://www.sessions.edu/student_life/competitions/Joyful_Heart_Foundation/winner.asp.

About Sessions.edu, Inc. (www.sessions.edu)

Sessions.edu, Inc., founded in 1997, was created with the goal of bringing new media design education to graphic and web designers worldwide, through online education.

Once a pioneer and now a leader in the distance education industry, Sessions' has delivered tens of thousands of courses to students in over 100 countries. Sessions is accredited by the Distance Education Training Council (www.DETC.org) and the first of only two online schools licensed by the New York State Department of Education.

Sessions Online Design School, offers certificate programs and courses in graphic design, web design, multimedia, business marketing design and digital arts. For more information about Sessions Online School of Design, visit www.sessions.edu or www.designmastertraining.com.

About Joyful Heart Foundation (www.joyfulheartfoundation.org)

The Joyful Heart Foundation (JHF) is committed to the total healing and recovery of survivors of sexual assault by introducing unique programs centered on dolphin-human interaction in the wild as a way of stimulating a survivors healing journey.

By working hand-in-hand with rape crisis centers and counselors as well as dolphin experts, JHF synthesizes all components of the healing process (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social and environmental) into one therapeutic experience. The positive effects of dolphin-human interaction in the wild can be unparalleled. The Joyful Heart Foundation provides this safe, unique and liberating experience as part of a retreat program, free of charge, with hopes of providing a powerful step in a survivor's journey to reclaiming a joyful heart.

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