One of Ryonet's values is to serve. To serve the printer, whether they need guidance for picking their first press or need help figuring out why their garment isn't curing properly. Serving expands beyond the established screen printer; we serve individuals who are interested in learning about screen printing.
Our passion to educate others doesn't solely lie within us. We've met other experienced printers who want to teach people in their community how to print. The national educational program was born.
Last week, we held the Partner Summit at our headquarters in Vancouver, WA. At the summit, 14 educators gathered to discuss the new curriculum, to meet other educators, and to enjoy the craft of printing.
During the summit, the main objective was to go through each part of the curriculum. What software do you use and why? What aspects of art do you want to go over? What eco-friendly products are in your shop? Best tips for exposing? The list goes on. By combing over each step of the process, all the partners ironed out their questions and became unified on the curriculum.
Another rad result of the summit was the friendships created. Printers from California, New York, Georgia, Utah, Texas, Illinois, and Oregon were there. Not surprisingly, many of them had never met each other before. Having dedicated time to chat, hang out, and get to know everyone strengthens the educational program. The teachers have each other's back if they have any questions, or need help with their class at all. Taking a class from a Ryonet partner isn't just learning from one shop, you're learning the knowledge of many shops in one class.
Ryonet's partners are the real deal. They want to teach. Many of them approached us and asked if they could become a certified Ryonet partner. They're not in it for the money, they're in it because they're passionate about the craft, passionate about helping others. While the partners have lot of experience under their belt, they know that they can always learn more too. The drive and willingness to continuously analyze what they do, and find where they can improve is an essential skill we can all learn. Screen printing has evolved, and will keep evolving. Being open to learning new techniques and technology is what makes a good printer a great printer.
If you haven't already, check out the classes we offer around the country. It doesn't matter if you're brand new to screen printing or if you have a shop completely set up, there's always something new you could learn.