Students of the Graphic Communications Scholarship Foundation (GCSF) are learning digital design and prepress skills from the best in the industry thanks to the generosity of two of its leading organizations for professional education.

Supporting GCSF in the effort are Pantone, provider of the world’s most widely used color matching system, and PRINTING United Alliance, the industry’s most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association. Pantone has donated 15 licenses for its Pantone Connect color design tool. PRINTING United Alliance has contributed three of its iLEARNING+ courses and three Color Management Professional Certification courses.

iLEARNING+ by PRINTING United Alliance is a robust collection of the most complete educational offerings and resources in the printing industry, featuring leading-industry courses, certifications, and more to help users grow skills, continue to advance their careers, and stay competitive in the printing industry. Students can access these resources free of charge as incentives for taking part in the GCSF training, an introduction to the fundamentals of Adobe Creative Suite.

The first two sessions of the online course, “Adobe Print and Productivity Tips for 2023,” have been presented to a group of more than 20 students at the invitation of GCSF. Taught by Adobe Certified Instructor and G7 Expert Amybeth Menendez, the sessions cover increasing productivity with Adobe Photoshop 2023 and using the new features of Adobe Illustrator 2023. The third and final session will feature a YouTube celebrity graphic artist and educator who specializes in Adobe Photoshop training.

Jung Sin, Pantone’s Director of Global Digital Product Management, expressed her support for the project. “It's important for students to have access to the latest tools and resources in order to enhance their learning and development,” she said.

Joe Marin, Senior Vice President, Member Services at PRINTING United Alliance, has assisted in presenting the sessions and has briefed the students about the learning opportunities available to them from the association. He even went the extra mile by spinning the wheel of names and giving away the Pantone licenses and iLEARNING+ courses to the lucky students.

"PRINTING United Alliance is committed to student development in the printing industry,” Marin said. “We're thrilled to support the GCSF student training program.”

The students are already enrolled in the iLEARNING+ courses and are eager to start implementing the knowledge they have gained. They are also looking forward to using the Pantone Connect application, which was introduced to them in Menendez's class.

“The donation of the licenses of Pantone Connect, the iLEARNING+ courses, and the Color Management Professional Certification courses have been instrumental in helping these students learn and grow in their understanding of digital product management,” said Diane Romano, President of GCSF. “It's a great example of how organizations in our industry can come together to support education and help develop the next generation of professionals in the field.”

The Graphics Communication Scholarship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to educating students of graphic communications and empowering their advancement to the next stages of their careers. It accomplishes these objectives by providing scholarships for students and cash grants to institutions; 1:1 mentoring programs; and training opportunities. For further information, and to donate, visit https://gcsfny.org.