July 17, 2002 -- Graphic Comm Central, the graphic communications industry's web portal for educators, students and industry, has received the top "A" rating from Education World, a web site for educators and school administrators. Education World described the site as "a valuable resource for the education community." The review said that Graphic Comm Central has a crisp, clean look with adequate spacing, easy-to-read text, and few graphics. "This site is a one-stop source of information and resources for anyone interested in graphic communication education," the reviewer commented. "Visitors will find the Virtual Textbook, with more than 330 online tutorials and instructional activities published by and for the graphic communication community, Virtual Tours that illustrate how the printing and publishing industry works, a comprehensive listing of Web Tools, Associations, Career Information, Publications, and more. A Listserv is offered for educators and industry workers to share information and ideas. Additionally, educators will find suggested ways to use Graphic Comm Central in the classroom." Graphic Comm Central, was created in 1997 by Dr. Mark Sanders, Associate Professor at Virginia Polytechnic and State University with a GAERF grant. The site received additional funding in 1999 and 2002, bringing total grants to the project to more than $170,000. The site receives more than 140,000 accesses a month. It contains more than 2,500 content files and 3,500 links to other resources. The site also received an Excellence in Education Award from the Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF) in 1999, recognizing Innovation in Online Education and Training in the Document Systems Industry. "Graphic Comm Central is one of the most valuable on-going projects funded by the Foundation, providing important resources for today's graphic communication industry and for recruiting and training the industry's workforce of the future," said Ken Garner, President of United Litho and Chairman of GAERF.