Surplus Drive
Teachers pose at Castle Press, one of the hosts of the 22nd Annual Surplus Drive, which offers a unique opportunity to bring together business and education for the benefit of both. RAISE Foundation sponsors and organizes the event.
Printers deliver their excess supplies to the site two days before the actual distribution day. The large variety of paper received includes white and colored text, cover stock, large sheets, letter size sheets, construction paper, envelopes, and more. Each year the variety changes depending on donations received.
Participating schools arrived with trucks, carts and lots of muscle power well before the start time of 9:00 a.m. to enjoy a cup of coffee and sweet rolls with staff, and volunteers.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the following members for their generous contributions to this year’s Surplus Drive. They are:
ACRO Printing, Inc.
Automation Printing Co.
Castle Press
ColorGraphics
Creative Press
Dieterich-Post Co.
Diversified Printers
Media Graphics
Northern Cal Labels, Inc.
PJ Printers
Premier Color Graphics Inc.
Southern California Graphics Co.
Schools benefiting from PIASC members generosity include:
| Arcadia High School Belmont High School Chiouards School Diamond Ranch High School El Camino High School El Monte High School Fairgrove Academy Firebaugh High School Franklin High School Fullbright Elementary Fullerton College Garfield High School Gladstone High School Hart High School |
King Middle School King/Drew High School Lincoln High School Lynwood High School Mendez Learning Center Nogales High School Pasadena City College Rowland High School South Pasadena High School Theodore Roosevelt Middle School Toll Middle School Venice High School Warren High School Wilson High School |
We received this note of thanks from Pasadena City College:
To PIASC/RAISE Foundation:
On behalf of the students and faculty of the Pasadena City College Graphic Communications Technology Program, I would like to thank you, your staff and the many printers who donated paper and supplies to the 22nd annual Surplus Drive.
Without your coordination, this event would not be possible. It is a wonderful coming together of printers with unwanted/unneeded stock and educators in local schools who are in dire need of supplies for instruction. With the current budget situation in California, these materials are even more needed in the schools, and we are grateful to have been recipients of some very high quality materials for instruction.
Thanks so much for all your efforts on our behalf, and thanks to the printers who 
generously donated to keep our programs thriving.
Sincerely yours,
Kris Pilon, Professor
Screen Printing
Pasadena City College
Click here to read other Thank you notes from students!
Career Awareness
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 Ara Izquierdo, (323) 728-9500, Ext. 216.
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 or Ara Izquierdo at PIASC 323-728-9500 Ext. 216
Visit the International Printing Museum's website for fees and additional information.
"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, which identifies the range of opportunities available in the printing industry.
Printing is a major manufacturing sector industry in California, and it 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 2004 the printing and publishing industries employed 107,000 workers, almost as many as the Aircraft and Allied Parts and Chemical and Allied Products industries combined.
- Printing is the largest manufacturing sector industry in terms of number of establishments, with 5,474 individual plants. Moreover, printing is one of the top five manufacturing sector industries in the twenty most populous counties in the state.
- In 2004, printing generated $15.1 billion in shipments (sales). This is up nearly 3.0 percent over the previous year and continues to place California as the number one printing producing state in the nation—and, for that matter, the world.
For more information about careers in graphic communications, please contact Ara Izquierdo at 323-728-9500, Ext. 216.
Careers in Graphic Arts
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 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 graphic communications industry is made up of not only printers, but also publishers, packagers, papermakers, inkmakers, equipment manufacturers, and in-house design and printing departments within corporations, banks, and even department stores.
It is very hard to overlook an industry that employs over 1,000,000 people in over 39,000 establishments. Annual shipments are over $170 billion. Visit the GAIN website to see the student video, "A Student's Guide" and find links for Scholarships (through PGSF), Job/Internship Opportunities and Job Profiles.
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. These photos are from a recent tour of Royal Paper Box by students of the Venice High School Graphic Arts program.
Take a look at photos of some past plant tours:
Insync Marketing Solutions
L.A. Times
Anderson Lithograph
Gans Ink
Graphic Press
Heidelberg
Marina Graphics
Royal Paper Box
Industry Speakers
PIASC’s Speakers Bureau consists of dedicated industry speakers who visit schools throughout the year spreading the word about careers in graphic communications. Although we all know that this is a great industry with wonderful career opportunities, it is somewhat of a secret for the average high school student. The fact is that these people simply don’t know that we exist, that we are full of high tech jobs, that pay and benefits are great and that we are a unique opportunity for the kid who wants to own his own business some day. Our Speakers Bureau invites you to join the challenge and sign up to spread the word about Print…an old art embracing new technology. Click here to download a PDF of our Speaker's Bureau Questionnaire.
As a service to teachers that would like to have a speaker visit their school, we have provided a list of our current volunteer speakers and their contact information for download here.
Arleen Zavala addresses 1,000 graphic arts students at the 2005 Student Assembly and Academic Competition, after being presented with the PIASC 2005 Industry Speaker of the Year Award. Arleen received the award for her tireless efforts to motivate students to stay in school, and consider the many career opportunities offered in the printing industries. Congratulations!