About RAISE
RAISE Foundation is a non-profit California corporation, established in 1974 by the Printing Industries Association, Inc. of Southern California (PIASC). Its goal is to foster graphic communications careers in primary, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions. RAISE is, and has been over the years, sustained by individual companies, industry employees, and other foundations.
RAISE underwrites numerous annual educational events that benefit not only students but also their programs. Some of these programs include:
- Surplus Drive – Now in its 34th year, the Annual Surplus Drive benefits graphic arts programs. Paper and office supplies are generously donated by PIASC members and then distributed to teachers and students to help supplement their graphic arts programs’ very limited budgets.
- Poster Competition – This competition is open to high school students. This project will require students to design and produce a poster for a Music Festival. Students must come up with artist names, and a festival name of their own. Include a location, time and the PIASC logo. We are asking students to get creative with graphics.
- Postcard Competition – This competition is open to high school students. Students are asked Design and produce a promotional postcard invitation for a music festival. Artists and festival must be unique and not copy an actual music festival. This project will focus on the student’s design and understanding of specifications.
- Bookmark Competition –This competition is open to high school students. Students are asked Design and produce a promotional postcard invitation for a music festival. Artists and festival must be unique and not copy an actual music festival. This project will focus on the student’s design and understanding of specifications.
- Packaging Competition for College Students – Students are asked to design and produce packaging for a cosmetic line. Create your own brand of makeup and design packaging for 3 of the following. Lipstick, Foundation/Concealer, Eyeshadow, Mascara, Blush/highlighter. This project will focus on the student’s design creativity and understanding of project specs.
- Wall Graphics Competition for College Students – This year, students must create three wall graphic designs to be reproduced in wide-format. Their design inspiration must include one of the following: Health/Fitness, Green Environmental, History of Print/Print Quotes. Templates are available at https://www.piasc.org/pgac2022/.
- Museum on Wheels – The Museum on Wheels is an innovative outreach program consisting of a trailer exhibit that brings the best of the Printing Museum’s educational programs to schools in Southern California. Students are introduced (many for the first time) to the amazing world of printing and graphics. Every year, RAISE Foundation’s annual grant of $25,000 makes it possible for over 14,000 elementary school students to learn about the importance of books, printing, and bookbinding. Students are introduced (many for the first time) to the amazing world of printing and graphics.
- Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Day – Beginning in 2011, this program assists boy scouts in earning two merit badges in one day: Graphic Arts and Paper & Pulp. RAISE Foundation’s grant of $2,500 helps underwrite the Printing Museum’s Boy Scout Merit Badge Days. The program occurs 5 times a year and response has been so high that reservations are booked 6 months in advance. Since then, 2,600 boy scouts have completed the program.
- Book Arts Patch Days for Girls (formerly Girl Scout Merit Badge Days) – Launched in 2015, Book Arts Patch Days for Girls is a 6-hour day for girl scouts (10-18 years old) to meet 80% of what they need in order to complete their Books Arts Merit Badge Day. A RAISE foundation’s grant of $1,500 annually underwrites the Printing Museum’s new program. The interactive day is filled with hands-on experiences in making paper, printing, and creating book structures of various kinds. So far, 75 girl scouts have completed the program.
- Literacy Campaign – Geared towards young children, approximately 120,000 bookmarks are annually distributed to public libraries and elementary schools. The READ, READ, READ bookmarks encourage, in a colorful and magical way, young children to enjoy the art of reading.
- SkillsUSA – Students participating in any one competition sponsored by RAISE will be eligible to receive grants for Skills USA State and National Competitions. Instructors are required to apply for the grant and the grants are awarded on a first come, first serve basis to cover the registration cost of the State Competition. Grants for the National competition work the same way.
- Awards Banquet – The winners of the high school, college and Skills USA, State and National competitions, have an opportunity to celebrate with their teachers and parents at this Annual Awards Banquet where RAISE presents students with their trophies and cash awards.
RAISE is a reputable and valuable foundation among the printing industry. To become involved in raising the standards in graphic arts education, please contact Lou Caron, 323.728.9500, Ext. 274.
Events Calendar
Surplus Drive
Join us Saturday, January 22, 2022 at
Advantage, Inc.
540 S. Melrose St, Placentia, CA 92870
Questions?
Contact Kristy Villanueva at 323.728.9500, ext. 215, or kristy@piasc.org.
Don’t forget to bring a dolly or a cart!
Competitions & Grants
PIASC’s RAISE Foundation rewards students that participate in its annual competitions by providing grants to assist with the expenses incurred in their participation in the Skills USA State and National Competitions. Students participating in any one competition sponsored by RAISE will be eligible to receive grants for Skills USA State and National Competitions. Instructors are required to apply for the grant by completing the SkillsUSA State Grant Request Form and SkillsUSA National Grant Request Form. Grants are handled on a first come, first served basis and cover the registration cost of the State and National Competitions.
POSTER COMPETITION
This competition is open to high school students. This project will require students to design and produce a poster for a Music Festival. Students must come up with artist names, and a festival name of their own. Include a location, time and the PIASC logo. We are asking students to get creative with graphics.
POSTCARD COMPETITION
This competition is for open to high school students. Students are asked Design and produce a promotional postcard invitation for a music festival. Artists and festival must be unique and not copy an actual music festival. This project will focus on the student’s design and understanding of specifications.
BOOKMARK COMPETITION
This competition is open to high school students. The winning bookmarks will be printed and distributed to elementary schools’ libraries. High school students are invited to participate by designing a bookmark that uses one of our whimsical creatures with the message included. The bookmark must be original and not resemble any bookmarks that have been previously produced by the PIASC/RAISE Foundation. Design must be suitable for elementary students ages 5-10.
PACKAGING COMPETITION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Students are asked to design and produce packaging for a cosmetic line. Create your own brand of makeup and design packaging for 3 of the following. Lipstick, Foundation/Concealer, Eyeshadow, Mascara, Blush/highlighter. This project will focus on the student’s design creativity and understanding of project specs.
WALL GRAPHICS COMPETITION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
This year, students must create three wall graphic designs to be reproduced in wide-format. Their design inspiration must include one of the following: Health/Fitness, Green Environmental, History of Print/Print Quotes. Templates are available at https://www.piasc.org/pgac2022/.
Awards Banquet
The winners of the high school and college competitions celebrate with their teachers and parents at this Annual Awards Banquet where they receive trophies and cash awards.
RAISE is the non-profit educational foundation for the printing industry. For more information, please contact Lou Caron, 323.728.9500, Ext. 274.
Student Awards
RAISE Foundation sponsors several annual competitions for area High School and College students.
Literacy Campaign
READ, READ, READ… The more you read, the more you know; and the more you know, the smarter you grow!!
The PIASC/RAISE Literacy Campaign—a project geared to promote the importance of reading in young people—was established in 2004, when an alarming report released by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) showed that the number of non-reading adults had increased by more than 17 million between 1992 and 2017.
Moreover, the findings showed that:
- Fewer than half of Americans over the age of 18 read novels, short stories, plays, or poetry
- The consumer pool for books of all kinds had diminished
- The pace at which the nation was losing readers, especially young readers, was quickening.
For this reason, PIASC/RAISE Foundation, with the collaboration of Best Label, Castle Press, Grafico, Inc., MAN Roland, Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and the Graphic Arts Literacy Alliance, initiated a campaign that consisted of whimsical and colorful bookmarks, encouraging the young and those not so young to READ.
What is really exciting is the fact that the NEA’s most recent report entitled Reading on the Rise: A new Chapter in American Literacy documents a definitive increase in rates and numbers of American adults who read literature. This new growth reverses two decades of downward trends cited previously in NEA reports such as Reading at Risk and To Read or Not To Read. Reading on the Rise is based on early results from the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts.
CLICK HERE to read ‘thank you’ notes we have received from teachers and librarians.
For more information, please contact Kristy Villanueva at 323.728.9500, ext. 215, or kristy@piasc.org.
The International Printing Museum
The International Printing Museum in Southern California is a dynamic museum that takes one of the world’s most significant collections of antique printing machinery and brings it to life through working demonstrations and theatre presentations. Since 1988, over 250,000 visitors have toured the museum, learning about the history of books and printing, great inventions and inventors that have changed our world. The Printing Museum has been recognized worldwide for its importance and size, and for the successful and creative approach it takes in interpreting its collection to a general audience. Thanks to RAISE Foundation, graphic arts teachers can take advantage of educational programs such as the Museum’s.
The Museum is currently offering three educational programs:
PAGES OF INVENTION: THE COMMUNICATION TOUR
A two hour tour combining a detailed presentation in the Museum’s gallery followed by the Inventive Dr. Franklin Show in the Museum’s Heritage Theatre. Appropriate for all ages.
PAGES OF FREEDOM: THE CONSTITUTION TOUR
Students will enter into Independence Hall to become delegates of the original 13 colonies; with the help of Dr. Benjamin Franklin they will begin to debate the ideas that might, or might not, go into the Constitution. Following the signing of that great document, students will enjoy a tour of the Museum’s gallery with an emphasis on how printing has shaped and formed our freedom. Appropriate for 5th grade and above.
THE MUSEUM ON WHEELS
When Teachers and students can’t make it to the Printing Museum, we bring the Museum to them! Elementary School Children enjoy the charismatic Benjamin Franklin when he visits over 200 schools per year through RAISE Foundation’s Matching Grant.
The Printing Museum’s innovative outreach program consists of a trailer exhibit containing a working, colonial-printing shop, which goes directly to schools to explore the 5,000-year history of books and communication. The trailer is covered with beautiful graphics to capture the students’ imagination.
After experiencing the trailer exhibit, students meet Ben Franklin who entertains them with stories of his life in colonial America, his many inventions and discoveries, and his role in forming our nation. Franklin brings his static electrical generator, inviting students to participate in many experiments. Franklin and the History in Motion program aim to ignite students’ minds with the wonders of science, invention, and the graphic arts.
PIASC members wanting to bring the Museum to a school in their community should contact Mark Barbour at 714.529.1832.
Visit the International Printing Museum’s website for fees and additional information.
Plant Tours
Plant tours are an integral part of career awareness. PIASC schedules plant tours for graphic arts programs to give students the opportunity to witness a work day at a printing company.
Please contact Maribel Campos at 323.728.9500, Ext. 210 or by email at maribel@piasc.org to schedule a tour with one of our members
Careers in Graphic Communications
Call it printing. Or call it graphic arts or graphic communications. Whatever you call it, you’re referring to one of the largest industries in the United States in terms of not only employees but also annual revenue. And it’s always looking for ways to assist interested students in getting their start in the industry. Graphic communications is a multifaceted industry, with a wide range of career opportunities. The industry is made up of not only printers, but also publishers, packagers, papermakers, ink makers, equipment manufacturers, and in-house design and printing departments within corporations, banks, and even department stores.
PIASC has developed an extensive career awareness program to help industry secure skilled employees now and in the future. The program includes something for everyone; from elementary to university students securing a job in the industry. Program features include: industry speakers, career days, plant tours, competitions, scholarships, and job placement. For more information on any of these programs, please contact Lou Caron, 323.728.9500, Ext. 274.
What is Printing?
This guide will show you some important things about the printing press. Who invented it? What printing presses look like? How they work? And some of the many things they print. Once you read this book, you will know what printing is and how important it is to you and to everyone in the world.
For additional copies of “What Is Printing?” Contact:
MAN Roland Inc.
800 East Oak Hill Drive
Westmont, Illinois 60559-5522
(630) 920-2000
www.manroland.com
The Diverse World of Graphic Communications Career Booklet
This brochure is the latest publication, produced by PIASC, that identifies the range of opportunities available in the printing and publishing industry (excluding internet publishing). It is a major manufacturing sector industry in California, and plays a prominent role in the state’s economy. You may be surprised by the size and scope of our industry. Here are a few statistics:
- In 2014, the last year for which we have data, the California printing and publishing industry (excluding Internet publishing) ranks first among all states in terms of number of establishments, employment, and shipments (sales).
- Within the state, printing and publishing is one of the largest economic sectors in terms of number of establishments, with 5,198 individual companies. Moreover, it is a top five sector in many of the most populous counties in the state.
- The California printing and publishing industry employs 82,002 workers, almost as many as the Aircraft and Allied Parts and Chemical industries combined.
- In 2014, the printing and publishing industry generated $15.1 billion in shipments (sales). This is up nearly 2percent over the previous year and continues to place California as the number one print producing state in the nation, ahead of New York and Illinois, in the nation—and, for that matter, the world.
For more information about careers in graphic communications, please contact Lou Caron, 323.728.9500, Ext. 274.
Schools With Graphic Arts Programs
Do you or someone you know want to pursue a career in graphic communications? Here are links to PDF files that list all of the High Schools, ROP Schools, Two Year Colleges and Four Year Universities in Southern California that have printing programs along with their contact information.
Links
Below please find links to educational entities, PDFs of posters, scholarship applications and other useful links for education and careers in Graphic Arts.
PIASC 2021-2022 Student Competition Resource Page, where students and teachers can access templates and information for this year’s competitions.
California SkillsUSA is the California Division of SkillsUSA.
Careers in Graphic Communications is a brochure detailing the different types of professions in Graphic Communications
GAERF is an organization that advances knowledge and education in the field of graphic communications by supporting programs that prepares the workforce for the future.
PrintED, administered by the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF®) is a national accreditation program, based on industry standards, for graphic communications courses of study at the secondary and post-secondary levels.
PGSF Graphic Communications Industry State Poster
A general overview of the industry.
PGSF Graphic Communications Industry Overview is a description that more accurately represents the broader range of what printers do today.
PGSF Scholarship is a not-for-profit, private, industry-directed organization that dispenses undergraduate college scholarships and graduate fellowship assistance to talented men and women interested in graphic communication careers.
Skills USA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives, working together to ensure America has a skilled work force.
The Diverse World of Graphic Communications Throughout this brochure, you will find samples of projects that have been printed by members of PIASC.