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Brea Chamber Poster Contest Highlights the Importance of Art in Education
Contest Kicks Off Salute to Education, a month long celebration of lifelong learning in March

To highlight the importance of a highly educated and skilled workforce to our local economy, the Chamber is proud to present the Salute to Education, a month long celebration of lifelong learning, taking place throughout March 2012. This program is designed to showcase the benefits of lifelong learning, highlight the tremendous educational opportunities our community has to offer, and to unite the efforts of the business community and local educational institutions in support of the next generation workforce. A highly educated and skilled workforce increases the productivity and profitability of our entire business community, which is why this initiative is so very important.

To kick off the Salute, Brea Olinda Unified School District high school students were encouraged to submit artwork that embodies the spirit of the salute for a poster contest. Submissions were to showcase the relationship between education and a promising future.

In order to highlight what high quality, creative pieces can be produced when students have an opportunity to receive instruction in the arts, 150 attendees at the Chamber’s annual Membership & Awards Gala were asked to judge the submissions. Attendees included business leaders, community members and elected officials from every level of government. A winning entry was selected, and will be used in the marketing of all events for the 2012 Salute to Education. Jean Chow, the winning artist, will receive a $250 scholarship.

In her artist statement, Jean describes what inspired her to create her submission. “In the 19th century, students often gave apples to teachers as tokens of their appreciation. As a salute to education, I felt that an apple would be an appropriate subject to depict.” She goes on to relate how her piece, titled Fruits of Education, relates to the theme of lifelong learning. “On the apple is the world to symbolize the knowledge teachers impact on students that enable students to succeed in life and make the world a better place. It also symbolizes the universality of education and its widespread impact.” Click here to view the piece.

Poster contest finalists included Yoon Shin Lee, Paige Hamilton, Seon (Angela) Lee, Megan Moberly, Josephine Sone, YunJin (Sandra) Seo, Lynn Rogers, Melissa van Daalen Wetters and Suin Moon. Click here to view their submissions.

The Salute to Education will also feature a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Fair on March 6, a community education expo on March 13, the North Orange County Workforce Development Summit on March 21 and job fair on March 29. Local businesses are encouraged to get involved by inviting a student to job shadow or by serving as principal for a day in a local school.

Proceeds from the Salute to Education will help fund Brea Chamber workforce development initiatives, such as HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Excel) leadership programming, Business Builders seminars and scholarships for Brea Olinda High School students.

The Brea Chamber of Commerce has been connecting business with opportunity for nearly 100 years. For more information, please call the Chamber office at (714) 529-4938.