This year, University of Kentucky students in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience solving real-world, industry problems and possibly earn a scholarship through a partnership with Target.

Target is sponsoring a case-study project about how the retailer can capture and maintain the Hispanic consumer market. Students in Associate Professor Kim Miller-Spillman’s Problem Solving in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles class will work on the project throughout the fall semester.

“This project is so applicable to the types of careers these students will pursue upon graduation,” said Miller-Spillman. “It gives them the opportunity to work with a major retailer and possibly earn a scholarship.”

Students will work in groups of four to do background research, collect demographics, conduct surveys, gather data and present their findings. They will present their findings to 10 Target executives and Miller-Spillman in December. Each member of the winning group will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the retailer for the spring semester.

“We are pleased to partner with Target to provide authentic learning experiences for our students,” said Ann Vail, director of the UK School of Human Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “We appreciate Target’s commitment to our students’ development as retailing professionals.”

Target has partnered with the department in the past, including sponsoring the 2013 Color Me Spring fashion show, and has offered internships to students.

“Target is so excited to be partnering with University of Kentucky’s campus yet again but this time in another capacity,” said Rodney Branum, Target store team leader and campus recruiter. “This semester, the students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment will be working on presenting their ideas and concepts on a recent Target case study topic. Target has been recruiting some of the best and brightest UK students for internship and full-time career opportunities for many years now, and we feel like this partnership will only help strengthen the bond between UK and Target.”

A faculty member in the department will repeat the same case study during one of the spring semester classes. Members of the winning group will also receive $1,000 scholarships from Target.