I can't really agree with this I'm in graphic school I learned a lot by myself and actually nothing in school but, there was 1 teacher who learned me things I didn't even knew and gave me tutorials I really learned a lot off. It's more about if you are creative or you're not cause creative minds keep trying weird stuffs and keep shaping what they have in mind.
And about the SotW It could work but you need more ppl here who can do graphics and who can tell ppl what they've done wrong in there design.
Mainly something like Design of the Month could work then you can draw make a website or just a plain bussiness card
and if that works you can start things like sotw after that sotm and so on.