NILES — Niles residents Bill Prenkert and Caryn Adler both believe that today’s children are tomorrow’s future for Niles. With the two adults’ coordination, some students are already laying the groundwork for that future.

Prenkert’s marketing and health class at Niles New Tech created logos for Adler’s nonprofit, Niles Festivals, Music, and More, which is responsible for a summer concert series at Riverfront Park that brings regional musicians and local nonprofits together. Soon, some students may create a website and social media pages for the organization.

The project is meant to not only add identity to the new nonprofit but to help expand the audience of its concerts’ attendees as Adler works to create a lineup of musicians appealing to generations young and old.

Students worked in pairs to create a logo based on Adler’s description of her concert nonprofit and her personal preferences. The chosen logo’s creators will then be offered a chance to volunteer to create a stronger web presence for Niles Festivals, Music, and More.

Adler said she knew her outreach to New Tech students was worth it when she walked into Prenkert’s class at 9 a.m. last week to share her nonprofit’s mission, vision, history and potential future. Instead of sleepy eyes and deadpan faces greeting her early morning visit, she saw attentive faces, head nods and hands raised for questions.

Adler recalled one student who responded after she asked the class how helping a local nonprofit could help them.

“He said, ‘It’s a way to give back to the community,’” Adler said, tearing up. “I thought, ‘Oh, buddy, you’ve got it.’”

Prenkert said completing projects for community businesses and organizations is a core principle of his class and of New Tech in its entirety. That, he said, preps students for 21st Century careers, impacts the city and makes students model citizens.

“The kids in here, they’re the adults of tomorrow, so it’s like, this is going to be your town,” he said. “What do you want to see happen?”

Sophomore Gianna Finch said she likes seeing the impact her project-based learning has on the Niles area. She particularly enjoyed creating promotional materials for Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Michigan.

She enjoyed creating logos for Adler, too. Her team created a logo featuring two different microphones, one classically styled, another modern. The images were meant to show that the nonprofit’s concerts were appealing to people of all ages.

“It’s about working with the community and giving back because giving could be really good and it makes yourself feel good,” Finch said the New Tech program.

Sophomore Autumn Thar’s logo was a bit different. Her group incorporated music notes, the Michigan state outline and Adler’s favorite color, red.

Thar said she used her promotional and design skills from Prenkert’s health and marketing class to complete the assignment. She found that her assignments through the class not only impact those around her, but herself, too.

“It’s really bringing me out of my shell,” Thar said. “Me, I’m a shy person, and we do these product promotions where we go up there and we’re trying to sell an item.”

While the logo winner was chosen after time of publishing, Thar and Finch may both be offered the chance to help boost Niles Festivals, Music, and More’s web presence, regardless if one of their logos was chosen.

In tandem with logo and web development, Adler said the nonprofit is also working to develop a larger, more inclusive concert lineup. With about $20,000 in grant and donation funding pending or secured, including a recent donation by Teachers Credit Union, Adler plans to expand the concert series past its weekly Thursday evening shows, featuring musicians that are regionally and nationally known.

She said Thursday concerts tended to feature oldies musicians, and the atmosphere at the shows was lax.

Adler wants to include three Saturday evening concerts that feature groups appealing to younger people that can create an active audience. She is working to possibly close off the Riverfront Park amphitheater area and offer alcoholic beverages at these weekend events.

Two Sunday afternoon concerts are also in the works, which would feature family-friendly music.

The partnership between musicians and nonprofits would continue at weekend events. Organizations would continue to set up a booth for information and donations, and, sometimes, speak to the audience about their cause.

“We just want to bring free entertainment,” Adler said. “That’s always the core. The thing that separates us is the collaboration is the nonprofits and raising money for nonprofits.”

Now, a collaboration between area students and adults is set to bring those core missions out.