PEWAUKEE, WI — The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) has announced a major donation to the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF).

Thanks to fundraisers supported by members of the Illinois printing industry community, GLGA recently donated more than $85,000 to PGSF for the dedicated Illinois Education Foundation Scholarship fund endowment.

PGSF is a not-for-profit, private, graphics industry-directed organization that dispenses undergraduate college and technical school scholarships and graduate fellowship assistance to talented men and women interested in graphic communication careers. Recipients include full-time students as well as those working who seek additional education in the printing industry.

Since its creation in 1956, PGSF has coordinated the printing industry’s largest scholarship program. Individuals, companies, and associations provide both annual and endowed scholarship funds to PGSF, which administers the scholarship and fellowship programs on their behalf.

Since 2019, the Illinois scholarship program has been administered by PGSF. Eligibility for scholarships from this endowment is restricted to students residing in Illinois, with awards going to students who graduated from an Illinois high school and attending any school with a qualified graphics program in the United States. A representative from the Illinois printing industry sits on the PGSF board of directors. Currently, the Illinois representative is Stephen Richards, Vice President of Richards Graphic Communications, Bellwood, Illinois.

The new $85,000 donation is the most recent contribution GLGA has donated to PGSF. In addition to this, GLGA donated $81,019 in 2019 and $123,732 in 2020 to support education for future young professionals preparing to enter the printing industry. These figures do not include the annual proceeds from the Illinois golf outing scholarship events that are donated to PGSF for the Illinois Education Foundation Scholarship endowment.

Joseph Lyman, president of GLGA, believes the donations show the commitment the industry has to helping provide resources to young, talented individuals wanting to become educated in print. He said, “We are pleased that the funds go directly to students to achieve their career path in print. These funds will help fund students’ tuition for decades to come.”

Autumn Mercure, McHenry, Illinois, is a two-time recipient of the Illinois scholarship administered by PGSF. “The PGSF scholarship I received in 2020 has helped me in so many ways throughout my first two years in college,” Autumn said. “Because of the funds I received I was able to focus solely on my studies during a worldwide pandemic, which allowed me to get a 4.0 GPA for my Associate's Degree. I have officially graduated with my Associates from McHenry County College and also have started an internship that focuses on Graphic Design. I will use all the amazing experiences I have gained through the PGSF scholarship to make my mark in the Printing Industry as I work towards my Bachelor's Degree at Illinois State University.”

“The foundation is honored to be carrying out the work of the Great Lake Graphic Association with this generous donation,” said Jules VanSant, chair of the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation. “Our focus is on growing the impact these dollars can make through scholarships in support toward building our future leadership and workforce.”

For more information about the Great Lakes Graphics Association, visit www.glga.info. 

For more information about PGSF, visit www.pgsf.org. For information about applying for scholarships or donating to the scholarship fund, contact PGSF at (866) 556-PGSF or [email protected].