Highlights:
BEaJEWELER Open House Oct. 2nd 1-4pm – Portland Jewelry Academy
Portland Jewelry Symposium Keynote Dinner Oct. 2nd 5pm – Portland Art Museum
Portland Jewelry Symposium Oct. 3rd 8am – The Sentinel Hotel
Student Scholarship Application Deadline Sept. 9th

MJSA’s student outreach initiative will partner with Portland Jewelry Academy, Portland Jewelry Symposium to offer educational opportunities Oct. 2-3

MJSA’s BEaJEWELER student outreach initiative, which aims to bring “new blood” into the jewelry industry, is partnering with two Oregon institutions—the Portland Jewelry Academy and the Portland Jewelry Symposium—to offer two days of educational opportunities for those interested in pursuing careers in jewelry making and design.

On Sunday, Oct. 2, BEaJEWELER will sponsor a special open house from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Portland Jewelry Academy, which offers 16-week courses in foundational bench skills. The open house will include Q&A sessions with professional jewelers as well as live demos of jewelry-making techniques, giving prospective students an opportunity to learn first-hand the responsibilities, skill requirements, and professional rewards of a career as a jeweler.

In addition, the Portland Jewelry Symposium—an annual conference that explores new technologies and artistic trends in jewelry making and design—is offering special discounts and scholarships to students who want to attend this year’s event. The symposium will kick off on the evening of Oct. 2 with a keynote dinner featuring Bennett Freeman, a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State who, through his business and governmental leadership roles, has been a leading voice for human rights and responsible investment. He will speak on “Responsible Sourcing: From Conflict and Controversy to Innovation and Cooperation.”

The symposium will continue Monday, Oct. 3 for a full day of sessions on lean manufacturing, bench techniques, design strategies, and more. Students receive a half-price registration rate ($95 prior to Sept. 9, $105 thereafter) and can also apply for one of two student scholarships, the winners of which will receive free registrations. All student registrants and applicants must be able to submit proof of their current enrollment in a jewelry-related program.

The MJSA BEaJEWELER student outreach initiative works closely with jewelry schools, organizations, and businesses to promote the profession of jewelry making and design to prospective students and workers, as well as to help those prospects develop their professional careers. It was begun in 2015 as an initiative of the MJSA Education Foundation, MJSA’s 501(c)3 subsidiary, and the New Approach School for Jewelers in Franklin, Tennessee. To learn more about the BEaJEWELER program, go to MJSA.org or call 1-800-444-MJSA.