Phoenix Challenge Foundation High School Skills Competition 2017 Crowns Winners

Phoenix Challenge Foundation High School Competition 2017
The first place winners, from Knox High School

CHARLOTTE, NC—March 22-24 marked the 20th year of the Phoenix Challenge Foundation High School Skills Competition, a great achievement to continue breeding talent and interest in graphic arts and flexographic production. This year’s anniversary didn’t go unnoticed by several industry supporters, suppliers and educators.

The Phoenix Challenge Foundation High School Competition 2017 was as challenging as ever as 36 students, making up 18 teams, went to work to prove their skills in the various disciplines from prepress, plate making and mounting to mathematics and written skills to print setup and press operation. After two and half days of skills challenges and pressroom judging came the results.

Prizes are awarded by earning the highest combined scores in the competition. Along with the first place award the team will each receive a $1,000 Phoenix Challenge Foundation Scholarship, and they will take home the Harper Flexo High School of the Year trophy cup, for display at the school.

Phoenix Challenge Foundation High School Competition 2017
The Heart of a Servant Award, presented to Bettylyn Krafft, chairman of Phoenix Challenge Foundation (R) by Lisa Muennich of Avery Dennison (L)

The 20 year celebration was a sure highlight of the week as well. The Phoenix Challenge Foundation board presented Bettylyn Krafft with an inaugural Heart of a Servant Award in recognition of her faithful and unwavering support of the Foundation and its efforts to grow not only at the high school level but at the college level. “We are lucky to have had the dedication and perseverance of Bettylyn at the helm of the Foundation since its beginning. Her love and support of flexo education and especially to the students is something we admire deeply and are beyond fortunate to have. She is a true servant to others,” stated Howard Vreeland Jr., board member and president of Anderson & Vreeland.

The celebration didn’t stop there, as the educators and teachers all pitched in to acknowledge Bettylyn’s unwavering support of their individual programs. She was gifted a wonderful vinyl cutting machine and supplies as their appreciation for her dedication and love of craft artwork.

Following the Phoenix Challenge Foundation High School Competition 2017, the next endeavor for the Foundation this year is the 10th Annual College Competition, which will take place in Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, April 29 during the annual FTA Forum and INFO*FLEX events. More than 50 college students will compete for top honors.

“It has been an amazing 20 years! I have loved to watch the kids grow and learn through these unique experiences only found in our industry. Then, I see them working along side all of us, in our industry, as our professional colleagues. That is the most rewarding of all is to see how far these kids can go if we just take the time and nurture their natural interests. The next 20 years will be just as rewarding,” said Bettylyn, chairman of the Phoenix Challenge Foundation.