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High school branding and marketing class describes real‑world work: clients, invoices and shop skills
Summary
Teacher Elise Hagen and her students described a hands-on Branding & Marketing class that runs real orders for local clients, uses screen printing and engraving equipment, charges modest markups for sustainability, and limits enrollment because of shop capacity.
Elise Hagen, teacher of the Branding & Marketing class, told the Paynesville Public School District board that the course — started in 2019 — provides students with real‑world business experience, from client communications to invoicing and production.
"I am Elise Hagen. I am the teacher of Branding Marketing Class," Hagen said, describing how students create logos, take client requests, and use the school's innovation center equipment to produce apparel, banners and tokens for local events.
Students who spoke to the board described workflow details: contacting clients, iterating designs, creating product folders on the class website and filling orders using screen printing, embroidery, direct-to-fabric (DTF) and laser engraving. One student said managing invoices made them consider accounting as a career. The presenters said the program maintains wholesale accounts, charges approximately a 60 percent markup on sales to cover materials and machine maintenance, and uses revenue to replace supplies and equipment.
Hagen said she limits class enrollment to about 15 students to keep project groups manageable given the number of machines and the production space; returning or multi‑term students sometimes help teach newer participants. Students and staff credited word‑of‑mouth for bringing community clients and noted the program's role supporting school spirit items, team gear and local events.
Why it matters: The class combines vocational and business skills, gives students hands‑on experience managing client work and creates modest revenue to sustain an educational workshop. Board members praised the program for offering practical career exposure without an emphasis on profit as a primary goal.
After the presentation the board moved to communications and community announcements.
