What is Orion Online?
Orion is a online design and management organization dedicated to assisting small businesses and non-profit organizations in online development. Orion is also an educational experience that gives students, graduates, and faculty hands-on experience in building websites. It functions as both learning lab and practical experience for students, sponsors, administration and others interested in harnessing the potential of the Internet. Orion goes beyond flashing lights and spinning buttons to the heart of design and construction. Why build a website? What audience is the target of the site? What do they need to know or find out? Orion is interested in taking online communication to the next level by showing how the Internet can be used for good, not for evil.

How can I join?
Send us a quick email consisting of your resume and web experience, along with a quick note on why you want the work. Tell us a little about yourself. For information on specific openings, click here. Internships are available on a limited basis for course credit. For details contact Orion.

Where is it?
Orion is located on the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, KS. Its offices can be found inside historic Kedzie Hall, home of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Who works for it?
Orion is comprised of KSU students, graduates and faculty. The list continues to expand, but never fills up. We don't pretend to be normal, so try to avoid sudden movements. If ever the words "rag-tag bunch" were used, it would be about the Orion webmanagers.

How did it start?
The idea of bringing a web-centered curriculum to the Journalism School took shape three years ago. What better way to introduce the web to students than to toss them into it. Live. Real clients. Starting with sites which had been worked on for years, Orion took shape, adding more clients and more staffers little by little. It hasn't always been pretty, but we've had tremendous luck and support to keep us headed in the right direction.

What does it do?
In theory, the best part about Orion is its versatility. Having students from a wide range of academic fields allows us to have quite an array of talents and abilities. Orion handles everything from database programming to graphic design, from copywriting to e-commerce. You name it, we do it . . . or learn how. Strange how eager students are to learn when they're doing something they like.

How can my company or organization help it?
Pretty simple, really. Give us equipment. Give us money. Give us a site to work on. Give us your time. All of these will work. Interested? Let us know.

How does it relate to the Journalism School?
Orion is a student media offered by the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University. Staff comes from all over the KSU campus, not just journalism. Our theories of web design translate directly to strategies taught in other media courses in JMC.