2008 Graphic Communications Project

For those of you who are in my mailing list I have sent a 28 page pdf which includes about 95% of the relevant materials as information about the 2008 Graphic Communication contest conducted in Kansas City in June 2009. The contest constists of the following segments:

DW--Digital Workflow
EP--Electronic Prepress
FIN--Finishing
OPO--Offset Press Operations
OPA--Oral Professional Assessment
PP--Production Planning
TKT--Technical Knowledge Test

Let me know who in your state is coordinating the Graphic Communications Contest by sending me their name and email address to: jrod2012@sbcglobal.net.

The National Technical Committee is working on compiling information for the next contest in June 2009. As information is known it will be made available through this blog.

Good luck as you prepare for your regional, district and state competitions.

Recognizing the Graphic Communications State Champions

June 26, 2008 was a very important day for the Graphic Communication contest participants. This day proved to be a challenge and a wonderful experience. Kansas City, Missouri was the site for this competition. SkillsUSA had 91 different leadership and skills contests with over 5,000 student going for the gold. All of those in attendance were champions in their own right.

The Graphic Communications contest had 41 contestants. These contestants were all champions as they represented their respective state after winning that state's Graphic Communications state competition. Eight postsecondary gold medalists included: Grace Dunbar, MN; Tara Edelstein, MO; Kayla Enloe, OK; Michael Fleming, MI; Brandon Noll, IL; Mayda Salas, CA; Joseph Skaggs, IN and Justin Workman, UT.

33 high school gold medalist were present including Anthony Aebi, WA; Alyssa Ailion, GA; Henry Axtmayer, PR; Peter Barajas, CA; Kathy Capson, AR; Alexis Carroll, MN; Author Chandler, TN; Tyler Chilelli, NH; Katherine Coblentz, MD; Jasmine Colson, ME; Casey Conrad, NV; Jessica Etter, OH; Kayla Gilroy, KS; Ted Gorton, IN; Chloe Grace, OK; Aaron Hebert, RI; Ashley Infalt, WI; Zach Jones, NJ; Rob Kueffner, IL; John Litwinowicz, MI; Jake McCorkle, DE; James Moore, VA; William Morris, UT; Conseda Paschall, AL; Demetrius Peterson, MO; Jordan Preston, WV; Daniel Richardson, NC; Casey Roberts, PA; Travis Rogers, SC; Justin Stoddard, AZ; Benjamin Stratton, CT; John Terry, TX; Alex Thomson, MA. (This list was dated June 9, 2008).

The states in boldface indicate that those states had both high school and postsecondary gold medalist at the competition.

Congratulations to each and every one of you. You are the future of this industry. A great thank you goes out to the teachers of these students, to the parents and to the support they got along the way from friends, school, industry and others.

SHARE THIS WITH FRIENDS AND OTHER INTERESTED FOLKS!!!

Congratulations!! All Winners for 2008

The 44th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference was conducted during June 22-27, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. 41 contestants participated in the Graphic Communications contest, 33 high school and 8 postsecondary from across the United States.

Medalists at Graphic Communications contest of the 44th Annual SkillsUSA Championships

Front row L to R: High School medalists—Silver-Alyssa Ailion, Walton HS, (Ga.); Gold-John Litwinowicz, Royal Oak HS, (Mich.); and, Bronze-Chloe Grace, Autry Technology Center, (Okla.). Second row L to R: Postsecondary/College medalists—Silver-Justin K. Workman, Salt Lake Community College (Utah); Gold-Mayda Salas, Riverside CC, (Calif.); and Bronze-Michael Flemming, Ferris State University, (Mich.). Back row L to R: Jesús J. Rodríguez, Pittsburg State University (Kan.) (technical committee); Aliana Lowry-Naranjo, Northridge High School (Utah) (national education team); and, Patrick Klarecki, Ferris State University (Mich.) (technical committee.

The gold medalists received a $1,000.00 scholarship from Heidelberg USA, Inc.; $1,000 scholarship from Ferris State University to attend Ferris State; $500 scholarship from Pittsburg State University to attend Pittsburg State, $10,000 scholarship to attend the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University; complimentary attendance to a Rochester Institute of Technology seminar; QuarkXPress software; educational materials from Heidelberg USA Inc and Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation. The silver and bronze medalists received $500 and $250 scholarships and educational materials from Heidelberg USA Inc and educational materials from PIA/GATF.

For the second year the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation provided a $250 scholarship to the school on behalf of all the 41 students participating to help defray some of the expenses.

Industry support is crucial for this and future editions of the Graphic Communications contest. Educators need to be aware of the scope of the contest.

Please share this blog with industry, teachers, administrators and any interested folks.

A Story Worth Telling...Champions All

SkillsUSA at Royal Oak High School is considered an honors club. Only students who have completed at least one year of graphics and have maintained a 3.0 GP during that year are invited to join. The size of the Club varies from 5 to 15 members each year. From this group the final 3 students are picked to represent ROHS at the State SkillsUSA contest. During the last 7 years it has produced 3 State winners (plus 5 other medal winners for second and third) and 3 National medal winners, all Gold. The three Gold medals have all come during the last five years. John Litwinowicz, this years Gold Medal winner, will be starting is Junior year next fall and his third year in Graphics. He is an extremely talented designer who has been working with Adobe software for the last four years, since he was 12. He has discovered that there is more to graphics than just design and has enjoyed developing his skills in the other parts of this industry. The ROHS graphics lab is 2800 sq. ft. and is currently been rebuilt this summer 
from the floor up with new furniture, chairs, heating/cooling and lighting. During the last year a new iMac computer lab was completed (36 computers) and Adobe CS3 software added. We have a small Finishing area, that includes a 40 year old cutter and our press area has a Heidelberg PrintMaster 2/c. Last Fall we had 180+ students enrolled in 11 sections of graphics or visual imaging classes. We offer the following classes, Visual Imaging I & II, Graphics I & II, III & IV, V & VI, and Advanced Graphics. By the end of the year we had 160+ students, the total student body is currently around 1,700. This Fall we again have 11 sections enrolled that will keep two full time and one part time instructor working! ROHS has been a PrintED accredited school for the last seven years.

SkillsUSA for Graphic Communications

TO ALL INTERESTED!!!

This is the first of many comments to be provided to you relating to the Graphic Communications Contest, a part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. The most recent conference took place during June 22-27, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri.

41 students from across the United States took part in a day-long competition which resulted in the identification of gold, silver, and bronze medalists for both the secondary [high school] and post secondary divisions.

Congratulations to the medalists in particular but to all contestants who participated as they were already winners as they represented their respective state after having won the gold medal qualifying each of them for the national competition. Many thanks to all of the advisors and the support groups that made the overall experience a very positive one.

I will be describing the make up the contest over the next few months and hope that many will benefit as our purpose is to have a well developed, professionally presented, rigorous contest that will be meaningful to the student, to the industry and very much a reflection of what the advisors teach in class.

Let me know what you think and lets communicate for the sake of a quality contest that can be available at the state level, district and regional level as well as to the individual teachers in preparation for the competition which usually starts sometime in late February early March. Preparation starts many months before.

Let me know what type of information is needed and how it can help in your preparation. Right now I am compiling the information from the 2008 contest and will be making in available for all to see.

Jesus J. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
National Technical Committee Co-chair
Graphic Communications Contest