Penn-Trafford High School class will surpass $100,000 in donations

“Introduction to Administration and Management” might sound like a typical high-school business class, but Penn-Trafford teacher Ms. Kim Stefkovich challenges her students in ways beyond routine homework assignments and traditional tests.

Prior to becoming a teacher, Stefkovich worked in management and public relations for nearly a decade, and she has brought that real-world experience with her to the classroom by assigning each of her classes a project manager who leads classmates in the creation of a team logo, T-shirt design, marketing plan and video commercial. Classes are also tasked with selling the shirts, and then 100% of the profits are donated to charity.

The class has evolved dramatically since Stefkovich began teaching it 14 years ago. A lot of the change was spurred by technology; early classes relied on hand-drawn sketches for their logos and shirt designs but today the students use computer graphics programs for designs. The shirts were once made by students using iron-on patterns, but they are now outsourced to a screenprinter. In 2017, the classes started to include sponsor logos on the back of the shirts; this required the students to develop relationships with local businesses to sell the sponsorships, which added to the funds raised.

To date, the class has donated $99,000 to many different charities, including:

• Make-A-Wish
• American Cancer Society
• Susan G Komen
• ALS

The Ronald McDonald House (Pittsburgh) will be the recipient of this year’s donation.