Class Makes T-shirts
One of the elective classes offered at Central Lyon is Entrepreneurship, taught by Mr. Gerleman. It is a one semester class for any high school student. This class teaches students about owning their own business. It shows them the major steps in owning a business; Ownership, Strategy, Finance, and Marketing. After taking this class, students may consider a career in Entrepreneurship when they finish high school.
About three years ago, Mr. Gerleman wanted to provide an opportunity for kids to see how a business works from the inside. He chose to start a T-shirt making business. The class’s goal was to provide apparel for school related activities at an affordable cost. Over the last three years, students have made shirts for athletic teams, the music department, and various organizations. They have also been hired to make shirts for the Rock Rapids Rec, for the Heritage Day Road Race, and for Heimensen Wealth Advisors. The class makes around 1000 shirts a year.
Student Carter Iwen enjoys t-shirt making. He says they make shirts for different athletic teams and organizations around the school. Carter told us it takes multiple steps to make a T-Shirt, depending on how many colors they use and the print they use. T-shirts can be made with a heat press or ink print. Both of these use several steps to complete. Carter enjoys “learning about how to make shirts and run a successful business without having someone tell you what to do.”