PrintIT! goes from strength to strength with best year yet

The print industry's schools initiative PrintIT! has signed up record numbers of both schools and students for this academic year.

Some 500 schools – up 21% on last year's 412 – are participating in the project, with an average of 43 students per school getting involved. Last year, the figure averaged 40.

The project, which is aimed at Year 10 students in their first-year GCSE, has become so popular that PrintIT! is finding demand from students in Year 9 as well.

Its growing popularity is placing increased pressure on the 100 or so printers that have twinned with the schools to contribute to the project.

PrintIT! project director at Proskills Paul Evans told printweek.com that getting involved "is a fairly altruistic thing", but can lead to strong, and even business, relationships between them.

The initiative has also introduced a new category to its awards of "Best Twinners" to recognise the work of these companies, which give up their time to talk to the schools and sometimes bring students onsite to familiarise them with the industry.

The Fairtrade Foundation-orientated design project forms part of the study course for GCSE Graphic Products students, and is curriculum mapped, with a host of resources available to teachers and a prizes of up to £20,000 for schools and students.
Source: printweek