The Red Nation Outfitter store is a new project run by students in the Practicum of Marketing and Entrepreneurship class, which falls under the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

This class is open to juniors and seniors who’ve already taken marketing and/or entrepreneurship courses. It provides an opportunity for students to get real-world business experience and apply what they’ve learned in class to manage a store.

The students involved in running the store take care of everything—from inventory and customer service to marketing, keeping track of finances, and even creating products.

They get guidance from Shanna Hobbs, CTE advertising, fashion design and marketing teacher, and Marvin Elliott, CTE business and entrepreneurship teacher, who help them through the whole process, making the store a hands-on learning experience.

“My goal for the school store is for the students to learn every aspect of running a business,” Hobbs said. “Everything from inventory management to production costs to the proper way to price items to physically producing the items. We also want to show the students that having a business can also be fun, but does require a lot of hard work.”

As the store grows, the team hopes to add more products and even create seasonal collections designed by the students themselves. Right now, though, the main focus is on building a brand that really shows off school spirit and unity.

If students want to learn more or get involved in the future, they can talk to Ms. Hobbs or Coach Elliott. And if they’re interested in joining the practicum next year, they should ask their counselor about the eligibility requirements.