A recent project in the Marketing and Entrepreneurship program, under the leadership of Mrs. Jordan Hance, allowed high school students to experience what real-world learning looks like while building the skills outlined in the St. James R-1 School District’s Portrait of a Graduate.
Through a client-connected project, students worked directly with district administrators to design a product for the next school year while following real expectations involving budgets, timelines, collaboration, and presentations.
Students began by meeting with administrators to better understand the vision and goals of the project. Working in teams, they brainstormed ideas, conducted research, created mock-ups, and developed presentations to pitch their concepts.
As the project progressed, students encountered many of the same challenges found in professional workplaces. Teams had to adjust ideas to stay within budget, work through differing opinions, respond to feedback, and refine their final products before presenting them to administrators.
The experience helped students strengthen key Portrait of a Graduate skills, including Effective Communication, Critical Thinking, and Future Focused problem solving.
“The badge project led us to understanding what a real-world project looks like,” said Senior Keiran Goodridge. “Unexpected changes, sticking to a budget, and having a different person’s idea all fits into common problems in the workplace. It taught us financial analysis, communication, and teamwork.”
Projects like this help students move beyond traditional classroom learning by applying their knowledge in authentic, hands-on experiences that prepare them for future careers and opportunities.
By continuing to expand client-connected learning opportunities, St. James High School is helping students build the skills, confidence, and experiences needed to succeed beyond graduation while bringing the district’s Portrait of a Graduate to life each day.
