SkillsUSA Champ Preps for WorldSkills Competition

From What TheyThink.com...
Amela Mujkic has a giant in her corner. The Ferris State University (FSU) senior earned the title of National Champion in Printing Technology in the SkillsUSA competition last spring and is preparing to represent the United States at the biannual WorldSkills competition in Alberta, Canada this fall. Her participation marks the first time ever that a student from the U.S. will compete at the international level. This summer, Mujkic is completing an intensive, two-week Print Media Academy (PMA) training class at Heidelberg USA’s Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC) in Kennesaw, Ga. to prepare herself for the upcoming competition.
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Georgia Printer Magazine Adds Media Buyers To Its Readership

Georgia Printer Magazine Adds Media Buyers To Its Readership

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PIAG Announces Winner of SkillsUSA YouTube Contest

The Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia's Educational Foundation announced today the winner of a YouTube contest to promote the 2009 SkillsUSA Georgia graphic communications and advertising design competitions, which the association sponsors. William Anthony, a student at Johnson High School in Gainesville, Ga. received a $100 cash prize for his video showcasing the recent competition. Effingham High School students Jessica Parker and Chelsea McIntyre received honorable mentions.

"The introductions and slide transitions set Will's video apart. They were fresh and different," said judge Pat Klarecki, Professor at Ferris State University and a coordinator for the graphic communications World Skills competition.

Contestants were asked to produce a YouTube video of no more than four minutes using photos taken during the 2009 SkillsUSA Georgia training and competitions held at Heidelberg USA, April 16 - 18. All photos were housed on Flickr for easy accessibility. Judging was based on number of views, YouTube rating and input from a panel of industry representatives.

To view all the videos submitted, visit www.youtube.com/PIAGGeorgia. To view the photos used to produce the videos visit PIAG's Flickr site.

SkillsUSA YouTube Contest

We have 11 entries so far in the SkillsUSA YouTube contest. It's pretty exciting. Below is one of the entries. You can go to www.YouTube.com/PIAGGeorgia to view all the entries. Rate your favorite one and maybe it will win! Spread the word by sharing your favorite videos and posting them to your Myspace and/or Facebook accounts.

If you're interested in entering, there is still time. Click here for official rules. FYI, the password to upload the video has been changed to just skillsusa.

Virtual Field Trips

I've heard from several teachers that it is harder and harder to get the budget and time to visit print shops with their students. PIAG is talking to some members about producing virtual tours that you can show your students. Nothing is as good as seeing it in person, but when that's not an option, perhaps this is the solution. Take a look at this video below of a print shop in upstate New York. Let me know what you think. Would this be a good model for other virtual tours? Would your students respond to this?

PIAG Sponsors SkillsUSA YouTube Contest with Cash Prize

The Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia's Educational Foundation is sponsoring a YouTube contest to generate buzz and recognition for the 2009 SkillsUSA Georgia graphic communications and advertising design competitions, which the association sponsors. The winner will receive $100 cash and recognition in PIAG publications.

Contestants are asked to produce a YouTube video of no more than four minutes using photos and video taken during the 2009 SkillsUSA Georgia training and competitions held at Heidelberg USA April 16 - 18. All photos and video have been uploaded to Flickr for easy accessibility. Contestants can use any format to produce their video. Some suggestions include PC based Windows Movie Maker, Mac’s iMovie or the website www.animoto.com. Judging is based on number of views, YouTube rating and input from a panel of industry representatives.

“You may be asking, why is PIAG sponsoring a video contest?” said Bill Garvey, Chairman, PIAG Educational Foundation. “PIAG member companies are no longer singular focused. Many offer an integrated solution to client's marketing communication needs. The most effective marketing programs incorporate print into a broader marketing mix. PIAG is promoting this contest and the results via mail stuffers, our quarterly magazine and printed postcards, as well as the internet.”

The contest is open to anyone. Entries must be posted by June 1. The winner will be announced the week of June 6. For a complete set of rules, click here.

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About SkillsUSA SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. The organization serves more than 280,000 students and instructors annually and has 13,000 school chapters in 54 state and territorial associations. More than 14,500 instructors and administrators are professional members of SkillsUSA.

About The Printing & Imaging Association Educational Foundation
The PIAG Educational Foundation is a nonprofit corporation established in 1985 as the educational and charitable arm of the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia. The Foundation provides educational opportunities to industry professionals, career awareness programs for students and instructors and scholarship opportunities. The Foundation also promotes the printing and imaging profession within the state to future industry leaders and potential customers.

More comments from SkillsUSA pre-press judges

Paul Davis was one of the pre-press judges for the SkillsUSA competition. He has posted a good recap of the contest on Graph Comm Net. He has also posted some videos on pre-press and labs that coincide with Claudia McCue's book on CS4 training (Claudia taught the CS4 class at the winter TIEGA teacher's meeting) This site is full of labs, training materials, PrintED safety materials, curriculum and more. I encourage you to take a few minutes to browse the discussions and look at the attachments for each post. You may also want to look at the video section. There are a few videos that may be of interest for classes. Here is a direct link to the Georgia Graphics & Design Teachers Discussion group on Graph Comm Net . If you have curriculum, tests or anything else that would be valuable to your peers, please share it on Graph Comm Net.