Villa Maria College of Buffalo announced today it has been awarded a $125,000 grant from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, for its new Baccalaureate Program in Animation. This grant will enable Villa to acquire computer hardware and software for the establishment of a state-of-the-art animation studio. The program, set to begin in fall 2008, will be the only animation program of its kind in Western New York.

Villa's program will prepare students for multiple careers in animation, ranging from the entertainment industry to medical and scientific visualization. Hands-on learning experiences are a vital part of this preparation, and students will spend over 40% of their instructional time in studio courses, learning to communicate through motion, sound, art and design. In addition, each student will take part in a professional internship where they will experience first-hand, how an animation production house is operated. In order to prepare students for real-world job interviews, they will also leave Villa with an edited demo reel of their best work, a professional portfolio, as well as the communication skills necessary to deal with clients, directors and their film audience.

Villa's Animation program will carefully balance traditional art vs. technology, as well as individual visions vs. teamwork. This will not only provide students a fundamental understanding of animation tools and their creative applications, but will also prepare students to meet the demands of a diverse and expanding job market. Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics supports the need for qualified employees in the field of animation. Software publishing alone (in which animation plays a key part) is expected to grow by 67.9% between 2002 and 2012. This will make it the fastest growing among all sectors.

In addition, Villa's new Baccalaureate degree program in Fashion Design and Merchandising received a $50,000 grant from the Vincent and Harriet Palisano Foundation. The grant is earmarked for the purchase of needed technology and software designed for active learning opportunities for students.

Villa Maria's BFA degree program in Fashion Design and Merchandising, approved by the NYS Dept. of Education and opening in the Fall 2008 semester, incorporates the aesthetics of apparel design with the business logic required for any career in the fashion industry. The courses in both design and merchandising are structured to allow the student to develop the necessary skills and design applications and are balanced with solid core studies needed in the business arena. Students will 'cross train' within the program allowing them the flexibility to enter the fashion industry in all areas of design, production development, merchandising as well as public relations and retail management.

Courses will cover a variety of fashion-related areas including: sewing techniques, fashion analysis and trends, illustration, pattern making, sketching, tailoring, textiles, an industry overview and a mandatory internship. Students will also be exposed to business elements of fashion with course options in law, merchandising, retail buying, accounting, international retailing, and visual merchandising. Career opportunities in fashion range from design positions, journalism, advertising, retail management / buying, apparel and accessories, jewelry and even home design positions.

"Villa Maria College is grateful to the Palisano Foundation for their continued support and commitment," added Sister Marcella Marie Garus, Villa President. "This grant will significantly aid new studio space development for this exciting new program in Fashion Design and Merchandising."

Villa Maria College is offering high school students a chance to compete for great prizes, including two $500 program-specific scholarships, in the 14h Annual High School Juried Photography Exhibition May23 ’Äì June 16. The event, co-sponsored by the Villa Photography Department and Delaware Camera Mart, will feature an opening night reception on May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. with a special Teacher's Preview to begin at 5:30 p.m. Deadline for entries is Friday, May 16, 2006 with an early deadline of May 2 to be considered for Buffalo-based art publications.

Contestants are asked to send mounted or framed photographs to Michael Bosworth, Photography Program Coordinator at Villa Maria College, 240 Pine Ridge Road, Buffalo, NY, 14225. Photographs must be labeled on the back with the student's name, home address, high school, grade and teacher. All submissions can be dropped off at the college. Any questions can be directed to Bosworth at 961-1828 or bosworth@villa.edu.

The opening night reception and award ceremony is slated for Friday, May 23 in the Paul William Beltz Family Art Gallery on the ground floor of the Villa Maria College campus.

Gallery hours for viewing are Monday through Friday, from 8 am. to 8 pm. and Saturday from 10 am. to 5 pm.

Villa's Photography Program is the only course of study in Western New York where extensive training is provided in techniques and skills necessary for success in commercial studio/freelance photography, with a strong foundation in artistic impression. Interested students are strongly encouraged to apply online at www.villa.edu.

Villa Maria College Life Long Learning & Workforce Development is pleased to announce its summer camp line-up (see attached flyer) for middle and high school students.

Camps will cover a variety of topics including: Theater; Fashion Design; Jazz; Animation; Songwriting; Art portfolio design, Screen printing, drawing and printmaking; and Abobe flash.
Fore more information or to register, please contact the Villa Maria College Life Long Learning and Workforce Development Center at 961-1815 or 961-1866 or visit our website at www.villa.edu/learning.html.

Theatre Workshop for Middle School
(must be entering 6th grade) Grades 6 ’Äì 8, July 28-August 1, 10:00am - 3:00pm

Theatre Workshop for High School
Grades 9 ’Äì 12, August 4-August 8 10:00am-3:00pm

Fashion Design ’Äì Session I
Grades 7-9, July 28’ÄìAugust 1, 10:00am-1:00pm

Fashion Design ’Äì Session II
Grades 10 - 12, August 4’ÄìAugust 8, 10:00am - 1:00pm

Jazz Camp for High School Students
Grades 9’Äì12, July 28 ’Äì August 1, 10:00am - 1:00pm

Animation for High School Students ’Äì Grades 9 ’Äì 12
TBA

Songwriting for High School Students
July 21-24, 10am - 12:00pm

ART CAMPS

Portfolio for High School - Grades 9 - 12
July 21-July 25, 10:00am - 12:00pm

Screen Printing for High School
Grades 9-12, August 4’ÄìAugust 8, 10:00am-12:00pm

Drawing, Painting, & Printmaking for Middle School Students
Grades 6 ’Äì 8, July 28-August 1, 10:00am-12:00pm

Screen Printing for Middle School Students
Grades 6 ’Äì 8, August 11-15, 10:00am - 12:00pm

Adobe Flash for Middle and/or High School Students ’Äì Session I
July 14’Äì18, 10:00am ’Äì 1:00pm

Adobe Flash for Middle and/or High School Students ’Äì Session II
August 4-8, 10:00am ’Äì 1:00pm

Federal Code for Villa Maria College: 002896
TAP Code (Associate Degree): 2158
TAP Code (Bachelor Degree): 2188

The Financial Aid office is willing to help you with the financial aid application process. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance with the FAFSA. Our number is (716) 961-1850.

Step 1: Apply for a PIN (Personal Identification Number) at www.pin.ed.gov. Your PIN number acts as your signature of which you will use throughout your entire college education. Your parents can also apply for a PIN number to sign the FAFSA and the Master Promissory Note for PLUS loans. You will receive your PIN via email (if you provided an email address) within 1-3 business days or via mail within 7-10 business days if you did not provide an email address.

Next, you will activate your PIN at www.pin.ed.gov.

Step 2: Gather the following documents in order to file your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): (of the student and/or parents/spouse)
-social security card
-drivers license
-2007 W2 forms
-2007 Federal Income Tax Return
-current bank statements
-untaxed income records

Step 3: File the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Be careful that you are inputting the correct information from your tax return forms (i.e. using the correct line number). Important: print out the signature page for yourself/parent/spouse if you or they do not have a PIN. Then sign and return it to the address on the signature page.

Step 4: When you submit your FAFSA, you will also be able to complete HESC's (Higher Education Services Corporation) TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) application online. You will find the link to the online TAP application on the FAFSA Submission Confirmation page. If you have not applied for TAP with your FAFSA, wait 3 days and go online to www.tapweb.org and complete the application. If there is an error on the TAP application, you will receive a TAP form in the mail from NY State. Please review, sign and return it in the enclosed envelope or you can go online to www.tapweb.org to make the necessary corrections. Dependents students' parents must sign the form.

Step 5: After successfully submitting your FAFSA electronically, the Department of Education will process your application and send you a Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR will have your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This is a preliminary estimate based on the information you provided on your application. The EFC is used to determine your family contribution and financial need.

Step 6: If your FAFSA is selected for verification (they are randomly selected by the Department of Education), you will be notified by the Financial Aid Office as to what you need to do to complete the verification process.

Step 7: After reviewing your Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), the Financial Aid office will prepare an award letter that will list all the aid available to you. This will be mailed to you. Once you receive it, please sign and comply with all other instructions ASAP.

Step 8: If you qualify for Federal Student Loans you will have to go online to www.hesc.com with your PIN to sign your Master Promissory Notes. For further information on how to do this, please contact the Financial Aid office.