Hunterdon County Polytech Bridging the Gap
Are you looking for a new logo or business card for your business? How about banners, T-shirts or promo cards for an upcoming event? If yes, then you should consider the work from Hunterdon County Polytech’s Bridging the Gap. Bridging the Gap is a partnership with members from local Rotary Clubs and students enrolled in Polytech’s Commercial Art & Advertising Design program.
Rotary members mentor students on how to develop a business and marketing plan. They share their business skills and strategies to help guide students throughout the two-month process. Upon completion of their plan, students are interviewed for freelance jobs at a Bridging the Gap Job Fair. This year, the Job Fair will be on March 25. At that time, students will be interviewed and selected by real business clients to create business cards, brochures, menus, logos and other art related promotional items. In the past, students have also created book illustrations, banners and framed artwork.
This experience not only gives students an opportunity to work with real clients but also to put their art skills to work. While in the program students create drawings, paintings and digital artwork using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign software as well as laying out and designing typography. In May, clients receive their custom art requests and to recognize the students’ work, an awards breakfast is held with mentors, clients and students. At the celebration, students present their projects and Rotarians award scholarships to students with the best work. If you are a business owner and would like to participate or would like more information about Bridging the Gap Job Fair on March 25, please contact Teresa Diaz at 908-788-1119 ext. 2021 or email tdiaz@hcpolytech.org.
Rotary BRIDGING THE GAP
Rotarians being Sought as Mentors!
February 4, 2014 (8-10am) – BTG
February 25, 2014 (8-10am) – BTG
March 25, 2014 – Job Fair
May 13, 2014 – Awards Breakfast
Rotarians Being Sought as Mentors (Feb. 4 & 25): Megan Jones-Holt is seeking some Rotarians who would like to work with students of the Hunterdon County Polytech in the Bridging the Gap program. Rotarians interested would goto the Polytech a couple of times to work with students in developing the student’s proposed business marketing plan. The Rotarian would work one-on-one with 1 or 2 students and read over their information and give them suggestions to developing their business. The mentors would come in to Polytech both February 4 and February 25 between 8-10am. Other than that, you would communicate through e-mail with the students. The only other responsibility would be grading their final written marketing plan according to the rubric as provided by their Instructor, Teresa Diaz. If you are interested, please contact Megan Jones-Holt at
mjonesholt@gmail.com. See below for additional information about the program.
If you would like to learn more about the
Bridging the Gap program,
CLICK HERE to watch a short You Tube video about it.
Job Fair (March 25): Business owner’s are sought to be employers at the Bridging the Gap Job Fair. The Job Fair will take place on March 25th and is open to anyone that would like Commercial Art done. This would include a logo, brochure, t-shirt, mural, banner, menu, etc. Essentially the Polytech student would act like a freelancer. If you are interested, please contact Instructor, Teresa Diaz at
tdiaz@hcpolytech.org.
Awards Breakfast (May 13): An awards breakfast will be held at the Polytech Careers Cafe on May 13th.
Interacting with High School Students and Teachers to Promote Financial Confidence
Bridging the Gap between school and career. . .
It has always been a challenge for teachers and students to relate classroom studies to future real business opportunities, problems and real personal financial situations. The Bridging the Gap simulations provide the opportunity for the interaction of businessmen and women and other professionals with high school students and teachers to help promote business and personal financial confidence.
The BPS (Business Plan Simulation) Program brings a business scenario into the classroom by utilizing local business professional volunteers’ experiences. The Student Entrepreneurs’ Handbook and The Coordinators’ Manual explain the simulated exercise where students can “buy” a deli, but only if they are able to convince local bankers to grant them a loan. Local business people volunteer as “consultants” to guide a group of students in preparing a business plan, including a Profit and Loss Statement. The students then present the plan to the local volunteer bankers.
The PFP (Personal Financial Planning) Simulation Program simulates a typical financial problem where a young couple wants to buy a reasonably priced house. Local volunteers with financial experience consult with a group of students (acting as a family) during their preparation of a mortgage application to be presented to the local volunteer bankers. Explanation and work sheets are included in The Students’ PFP Handbook and in The Coordinators’ Manual.
