STC-Phila. Metro Chapter

Society for Technical Communication

Happy 50th Birthday, Philadelphia Metro Chapter! Come to the party/open house on Nov. 17th!

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When: Wednesday, November 17, 7:00 PM ET

That’s right! STC-PMC is 50 years old this year. And we look GOOOOOOD! We’re feeling like Sally O’Malley!

And we’re celebrating –we still have room in the party!

Whether you are new to technical communication or have been thinking about joining our industry, THIS event is for you. Presented in an open forum, come ready to learn, ask and join in the conversation, even if you are not currently working in this industry. In fact, many of our members did not begin their careers in technical communication so don’t be shy. We LOVE to talk about our ever-changing industry! We’re going to introduce you to the chapter–if you aren’t familiar with it, and just for kicks, we’ll have a little trivia game to liven things up (no worries–you don’t have to know STC-PMC history to participate)!

We’ve extended registration for this FREE event–come help us celebrate!

REGISTER and help us celebrate!

Student Membership Registration OPEN!

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The Society for Technical Communication – Philadelphia Metro Chapter (STC-PMC) is offering free student memberships and a $500 scholarship for 2022!

This sponsored membership and scholarship program assists students who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree and intend to seek a career in technical writing, editing, graphic design, interface design, web design, or some other job in technical communications.

The program has two parts:

Multiple STC-PMC student memberships ($75 value), awarded based on an application form and short essay response.

One $500 scholarship to a selected student’s university. This cash award is based on a student’s demonstrated participation in and contributions to the STC-PMC community.

Who Is Eligible?

  • Full time undergraduate and graduate students attending college in the greater Philadelphia area (Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, or New Castle Counties).
  • Students who have completed the first academic year of their undergraduate or graduate program and have at least one semester remaining before degree completion.
  • Students who have an interest in the technical communication field.

How Do I Apply for the Sponsored Student Memberships?

Prepare the following items:

  • A 300-500 word essay response to the question, “Why do you want to join STC-PMC and how do you expect to benefit from your membership?”
  • A résumé or equivalent information.

Complete the the STC-PMC Student Membership Application Form.

When Is The Deadline?

Applications must be submitted by February 25, 2022. The STC-PMC Membership Committee evaluates all applications.

How Will I Know If I Won a Student Membership?

Winners of the sponsored student memberships will be notified via email by the end of March.

How Do I Compete for the Scholarship?

Winners of the sponsored student memberships are eligible to compete for the $500 scholarship based on their participation and involvement in STC-PMC activities from April through June 2022. Throughout the spring, the STC-PMC Membership Committee evaluates student members’ contributions to STC-PMC activities for scholarship consideration. A list of suggested activities and specific opportunities to volunteer will be provided to sponsored students.

Good luck!

Welcome to the 2021-2022 STC-PMC program year! Here’s an update.

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Off to a Smashing Start!

We already had a great kickoff event with Beth Anne Ashley’s presentation on September 23rd of STCPMC September 2021 Webinar: From Meh to Memorable! Create IMPACT in Your Virtual Presentations, and we’re already gearing up for our next webinar on October 20th, given by chapter member Anukware Selase Adzima and his colleague, Evan Schapiro from CETRA who will be giving a webinar presentation, Translating Technical Documentation. We have some other events coming up for the year, including STCPMC’s 50th Birthday Party Open House in November, and our second virtual holiday party, a raffle for a free Amazon card, CONDUIT 2022, and much more!

As we mentioned in the summer, we were unable to get any volunteers to run for elected officer positions, and since the president at the time was unable to continue her duties going forward, the STC Community Affairs Chair asked me, as the chapter’s Immediate Past President, to step in as Acting President, so I have.  So here I am again! I put together a provisional committee of mostly veteran chapter members who have served in the council in the past to help me rebuild the chapter from the ground up while keeping things going as best as possible. With a skeleton crew, we’ve already accomplished a lot behind the scenes, and we are dedicated in rebuilding this chapter to continue the strong history that we’ve had for the past 50 years.  So, if there are times that it doesn’t seem like things are happening quickly enough, a) let me know at president@stcpmc.org, and b) have patience! There’s just a handful of us trying to get the bare minimum done with less than a handful of dedicated volunteers!

We do need more volunteers to help us with membership, programming, and communications tasks. We want to help create the next generation of leaders, as so many of our council members have gone on to STC Board positions and STC Board Committee positions.  We don’t want to let the traditions die, and at the same time, we need to continue to bring this chapter through the next 50 years!  If you are interested in taking an active role with the chapter, contact me at president@stcpmc.org, and let’s talk.

We need YOUR input, as this is YOUR chapter.  The provisional committee can keep things running for a little longer, but not much longer. We depend on YOU to step up and help out. We can start you out with a task aligned with your interests, and as you gain skills, you’ll be ready to help take over in no time. (Yes, you do want those leadership skills, and this is the best place to gain them–as a volunteer, where you can make mistakes and get free guidance!)

2021-2022 might be a barebones program year, but we’re going to do our best–within our limitations–to keep things moving so that the chapter can continue to build and thrive.

I look forward to seeing you at our educational and social events in this next year, whether in person or virtually–depending on how this pandemic continues!

image of Danielle Villegas

Danielle M. Villegas
Acting President, STC-PMC

So You Say Translating Specialized Technical Documents is Easy! Maybe Not As Easy As You Thought.

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Ever have a technical document come across your desk, or workflow process, that was a little more specialized, at second glance, than you thought? It happens more often than you think. In our second webinar of 2021-2022, Translating Technical Documentation, October 20, 2021 at 7:00pm, learn more about the challenges of translating these types of documents.

Technical documents cover a wide range of subject matter areas. Some are not just advanced but also very specialized due to the uniqueness of the expertise required. Thus, translating them requires extra care. This webinar will discuss 1) the challenges that are inherent in translating these types of documents and 2) the care that should be taken by all stakeholders to achieve the required publishable quality.

Register NOW to save a seat at this webinar that speaks to every technical writer, documentation specialist, and translator.

Our Presenters

Evan Schapiro is the Director of Translation Services at CETRA and holds over a decade of language industry experience. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and the Universidad de Sevilla, his specialties include written translation, language technology, process development and customer service.

Anukware Selase Adzima is the Global Business Development Manager at CETRA. Previously, he opened and managed a subsidiary of CETRA in Ghana. He is a graduate of the University of Ghana at Legon and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

September 2021 Webinar: From Meh to Memorable! Create IMPACT in Your Virtual Presentations

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Our 2021-2022 season is set to start in September with this webinar!

Join us on Thursday, September 23, 2021 7:00 PM ET for the virtual presentation of “From Meh to Memorable! Create IMPACT in Your Virtual Presentations“.

Register for the event now, as the registration closes on September 15th!

Presenting in the virtual world is our new normal. How do you transform a meh presentation into a memorable experience?

The art of delivering clear, concise, and compelling presentations is a skill that only develops with practice. Discover innovative techniques to increase interaction with your virtual audience by incorporating the DemoIMPACT methodology into your next online presentation.

This session blends business understanding with technical capabilities to sharpen your virtual presentation skills. Learn proven methods to increase engagement with your online audience. Improve your ability to effectively communicate during webinars, client meetings and speaking engagements.

Key takeaways:

  • Gain practical insights for engaging with a remote audience to create a lasting impact
  • Enhance your personal strengths as a technical presenter
  • Develop a more confident mindset as a virtual speaker

Beth Anne Ashley is a seasoned Pre-Sales Engineer and Software Trainer, performing business and technical presentations for IT Management, Executives and End Users for over 20 years. Many call her talented storyteller whose charismatic personality and witty demeanor keep audiences engaged. She is truly passionate about applying innovative techniques to traditional presentation methods.

As founder of DemoNOW Consulting, she empowers technical presenters to transform ordinary presentations into engaging customer experiences. Through hands-on educational training webinars and workshops, she helps organizations align business understanding with technical capabilities to improve their virtual presentation skills. Her key areas of focus include: product messaging, solution consulting, and customer relationship building.

★ Her mission is to help you present your best self!

Register for the event

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