A new Web site is offering free Internet space to high school and college students who want to build an online portfolio.

The site, http://portfoliomagazineonline.com, offers between 10 and 20 megabytes of space, free for a year-long trial. The site offers portfolio space for categories including art, music, modeling, acting, business and education.

The site was launched in September and describes itself as “a venue for employers to post job opportunities and candidates to post portfolios.”

Becky Jones, vice president of operations for Portfolio Magazine Online, said about 100 students were using the service. Some members of PMO hail from New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and Michigan, she said.

“There are other portfolio Web sites, but some have a limited amount of space, or are expensive, or are only for professionals and not for students. Our site is free,” she said.

“We’re hoping for 500 members by the end of the year,” Jones said. She added that the group is looking to begin high school tours to inform students of how to use their service to aid entry to a university.

Nathan Matrunick, freshman visual communication design major, expressed interest in the service.

“It sounds like a quick, easy way to get your work out there,” he said. “If it’d help me get a job, I’d be all for it.”

An architecture student’s interest was also piqued by the possibility of online portfolio space. Junior architecture major Sam Marcum said he’d consider using the site.

“It would be useful for a backup storage,” he said. “If it’s really free and easy to use, I’d use it.”

Christine Havice, director of the School of Art, was hesitant to endorse PMO, but did advise that students take opportunities like it.

“Every tool that a student can build into their arsenal, it’s all the better,” she said. “There is an advantage to online portfolios, since you don’t have to send any physical mail, but digital doesn’t always capture everything that’s there.”

Contact academic affairs reporter Derek Lenehan at [email protected].