About PPI Educational Trust
Who We Are
The PPI Educational Trust is a career education program designed to promote a strong future workforce in the print and graphics industry. Since 1989 we have encouraged students to explore and discover career pathways in our industry.
What We Do
We find, create, clarify, and promote career pathways for students of all ages to prepare for and join the thriving workforce of the print and graphics industry. We do this by supporting career days, internships, job shadowing, and by offering student scholarships.
Why We Do It
We do all of this because we love printing! We believe that it is relevant, disruptive, and that it is here to stay. But any industry is only as good as the people that work in and for it. We want to keep the visual communications industry around, and we need you to join us in celebrating the creativity, the industry, and the practicability of print media.
Get Involved
There is a way for everyone to get involved! If you are a student and are considering a career in visual communications. If you are an educator, we would love to work with you! We have many friends in the industry that are willing to give students first-hand experience in the printing industry through tours or presentations. If you are an industry worker or shop owner, join our list of supporters or donate the funds we need to keep doing what we do for you.
Internship
The future workforce of the visual communications industry is very important to us at PIA. As an association of over 700 members in the western states, we work hard to provide new and relevant pipelines from school to work for the benefit of both the future employee and student.
Do you think you might be interested in working with our industry? Then contact us in order to receive more information and to be matched with one of our capable members.
Are you an educator who is hoping to connect with us on behalf of your students? We would love to hear from you and craft an alliance custom-fit to your specific needs. Reach out to us with an email and we will gladly schedule a meetup or phone call to hear your story and offer help in any way we can!
Summer Internship Opportunity:
At PIA, our top priority is to find and develop the next generation of skilled laborer in the printing trade. We will be hiring summer interns for Portland-area print shops. This internship is a great opportunity for graduating high school seniors who are looking for a career right out of college or for college-age students who are interested in working in print. Individuals who successfully complete our internship will gain tangible skills in working at a print shop, workable knowledge of how the printing process functions, and have the potential to be hired on as a permanent full-time employee.
We are looking for applicants who have a strong work-ethic, able to do hands-on work and learn quickly. Students interested in a long-term career in the printing industry (design, manufacturing, customer service, etc.) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Print Excellence Student Award
2026 STUDENT POSTER DESIGN CONTEST
Guidelines for Submission
The PPI Educational Trust is a career education program supported by companies in the print and graphics industry. Our mission is to educate students about the wide range of exciting career opportunities in the field, from press operators and graphic designers to marketers, buyers, managers, and CEOs. We’re building the next generation of talent capable of powering print and graphics now and into the future. The Educational Trust also helps connect students with scholarships, career fairs, and job opportunities, all funded through generous donations from the print community. For the past fourteen years, this competition has recognized and rewarded
outstanding students pursuing careers in print and graphics.
Our mission is to create a 12-month school year calendar using the winning submissions that inspire businesses to support educational
outreach in the print and graphics industry.
Winning Entries
The top three high school and college winners will:
- Win $100 – $500 in individual awards
- Receive national social media recognition
- Receive a copy of the finished school calendar
Please read the following guidelines carefully and adhere to all the specifications listed below. Submissions that do not meet the guideline requirements will be disqualified.
Guidelines can be downloaded here.
Eligibility
Competition is open to high school and college students in print, graphic communications, marketing, and related studies in the following states:
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
Entry Deadline
Submission opens on Monday, November 3th, 2025. A print-ready poster design (no larger than 10M) must be emailed to Tammy Weatherly at tammy@piasc.org no later than 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, March 13, 2026. Please note, only one entry per student is permitted.
Specifications:
- Choose one theme:
- Ink that Inspires
- Print is Essential
- Print Connects Us
Create a poster of the theme you have selected.
- 11” x 8.5”
- 300 dpi
- 1/16” bleed on all 4 sides
- Landscape format
- Full color
- Include the PIA logo accessed here: https://www.piasc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PIA-Logos-NW-comp.zip
- Name your poster design file as follows: “first name last name 2026 poster”
- Create an 8.5 x 11 contact sheet including (Upload to Dropbox as a separate file):
- student full name
- student email address
- student phone number
- student home address including street, city, state, and zip code (where you want calendar mailed to in July-August 2026)
- teacher’s name, teacher’s email, and school name
- Export both documents as print-ready PDFs including bleed but without crop marks and registration marks.
Submit final digital files via email: tammy@piasc.org
Final Submission Checklist
- Incorporate all the required specifications.
- Export finished work as a PDF with bleed but without crop, or registration marks.
- Included contact page with all required information.
- Name your poster file as follows: “first name last name 2026 poster”
Entries from high school and college will be judged in separate categories. First, second, and third-place awards will be given to high school and college students. The top 12 entries will be printed in the 2026 PIA school year calendar. Winners will be notified by mid April.