WEST MIFFLIN — It started as a new class opportunity for West Mifflin Area High School students.
Five years later, the Titan Shoppe has taken on a life — and business — of its own.
WMAHS art teacher Brian Mann was seeking to give students an extra class instead of the routine art classes, and also was seeking to transition the school’s t-shirt making process from silk screens to a heat transfer.
“It’s the same process that a lot of companies use now. It’s simple and something that our kids can do,” Mann said. “It started with a single press that we had. We did it for a homecoming dance to see if the kids could do it and get (the shirts) out, and we offered free t-shirts to the dance if you bought a ticket. That worked, and the kids seemed to like it.”
He added, “Since then, it’s kind of ballooned.”
Ballooned, indeed.
The Titan Shoppe has three presses now and offers many shirt designs, and also now includes various products from the manufacturing class, such as cornhole board sets or coffee mugs. Students also make many of the designs to sharpen their graphics skills, and also have the opportunity to run an in-school café with the help of life skills students.
WMAHS also offers catering through Titan Thyme, whose menu ranges from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to delicious baked goods.
“Now it’s a whole business,” Mann said. “We’re doing signs outside the building, banners, promo stuff for the stadiums. It’s ballooned into something nice.”
Money made through the self-sufficient store is put back into school activities at WMAHS. The store recently donated $13,000 to the Interclub Council to provide various school clubs with funds for activities. The Shoppe also has donated to the district’s food/necessities pantry to help local families in need.
“It’s totally self-funded and doesn’t cost any money to the school district,” Mann noted.
HOLIDAY SALE
The Titan Shoppe is holding a large holiday sale! Find the Shoppe online at this
link or find the link under the Students tab at
www.wmasd.org.
Among the holiday offerings are a cookie tray, some West Mifflin/holiday-themed clothing, and more.
“We’ll have some new designs and t-shirts out,” said Hannah Bradley, a teacher at WMAHS who runs the Titan Shoppe website. “The manufacturing class has a new customizable charcuterie board you can buy, and the yearbook is on the website available for purchase.”
Mann added, “I know Ms. Dalton’s (Titan Thyme class) is doing the cookie trays, Ms. Bradley (and her class) will be doing t-shirts and holiday themes that (my class) will be (producing).”
In order to guarantee pickup by Christmas, orders must be placed by Dec. 15. Orders may be picked up at the main office at the high school or can be sent to another district school once the items are completed.
The items also come at reasonable prices, especially compared to commercially-bought items from stores. For example, hoodies range from $15-25 for the most part, while the customizable charcuterie board is $60 and a set of cornhole boards is $150. Youth sizes and pricing also are available.