"Make Your Mark" Materials Hit Nation's High Schools

Published: April 26, 2002, By PRESS RELEASE

RESTON, VA, USA—The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) reports it's distributing industry-related curriculum materials and information to 65,000 high school teachers and guidance counselors. The program, "Make Your Mark in Graphic Communications," says GAERF, "has the potential to reach more than six million high school students nationwide."

Adds GAERF chairman J. Kenneth Garner (president of United Litho, Ashburn, VA): "The foundation's goal in the 'Make Your Mark' campaign is to raise awareness of our industry in the next generation of workers by putting colorful information about exciting career opportunities directly into their hands and the hands of people who influence their career decisions -- parents, teachers, and guidance counselors."

According to GAERF, the Make Your Mark kits include teachers' curriculum and counselors' guides, posters, a take-home brochure for students, and follow-up surveys for students and teachers. (Check out: Graphic Comm Central.) "We want to encourage people in the industry to get involved by contacting their local schools and offering opportunities for students to have hands-on contact with our industry through plant tours, job shadowing, and mentoring programs," says Garner. "GAERF is especially grateful to the industry leaders that have provided financial support for 'Make Your Mark' in the form of donated paper and printing to produce the more than two million printed campaign pieces."

GAERF says paper for the project was supplied by Domtar Industries and Roosevelt Paper. Printing was supplied by: Heidelberg USA, Komori America, Automated Graphic Systems, and Dynacolor Graphics. Quebecor World Northeast Graphics provided the setting for the photographs used in 'Make Your Mark' materials.

GAERF was founded in 1983 by the Natl. Assn. for Printing Leadership, NPES--The Assn. for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies and Printing Industries of America--"to serve as a source of financial support for educational and research projects to promote a strong future for the industry." More information is available at npes.org.