Art Students Offer Complimentary Design Services to Local Nonprofits

SANTA ANA, Calif., The Art Institute of California — Orange County is now accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for pro bono graphic design, Web and interactive media design, animation and culinary services.

In the last five years, students at The Art Institute have completed nearly 100 projects for local nonprofits through the school’s Community Arts Resource Exchange Program (CARE). CARE is part of the school’s community service initiative to benefit the local community and give students opportunities to develop their skills in art, design and culinary, while reaping the rewards of charitable giving.

“The CARE program allows students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to professional projects,” said Graphic Design and Advertising Academic Director Catherine Stickel. “It’s real-world experience that gives students fully-produced work for their portfolios.”

Organizations may apply for student assistance in areas such as logo development, poster design, creation of brochures, flyers, postcards and other marketing collateral material, as well as interactive media projects, computer animation sequences, Web sites and other projects that fit into the school’s curriculum.

“The students delivered exactly what we needed,” said Cindy Monreal, who had a logo designed for the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association during the fall quarter. “It was really easy to work with the class. I don’t think we would have had a better experience working with professionals.”

Other organizations that have recently benefited from the CARE program include Orange County Coastkeeper in Newport Beach, Paint Your Heart Out in Santa Ana and the Orange County Public Library.

To apply for project assistance from the school, local nonprofit groups should request an application from Veronica Orozco through email at vorozco@aii.edu or by calling 714.830.0221.

Applications must be received by Thursday, Dec. 13 to be considered for the winter 2008 quarter.

The Art Institute of California-Orange County
The Art Institute of California-Orange County is a design, media and culinary arts school providing bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Visual & Game Programming and Web Design & Interactive Media. Located in the heart of Orange County’s South Coast Metro region, The Art Institute is ideally situated in close proximity to Orange County’s thriving business community, cultural attractions, shopping, entertainment and its famous beaches. The school is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) with over 35 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals.