School Spirit Enterprise: Curtis Warriors Design Their Own Merch Line

David Nudelman brought the School Spirit Enterprise program to Curtis High School in St. George, Staten Island — and by the end, the students didn't just design merch. They built a brand.

David Nudelman leading a School Spirit Enterprise session at Curtis High School, walking students through the Curtis Warriors design in Canva. Brainstorming notes cover the whiteboard as students work through their concepts.

Over the course of the program, Nudelman worked alongside teacher Ms. O'Malley and assistant Dominic Rosalia to guide Curtis students through the full process of creating school merchandise from scratch. From concept to design to production, every piece was student-made. The school even got an entire creator space equipped with a brand new heat press, giving students hands-on experience with the actual tools used to bring their designs to life.

Nudelman working with students at the smartboard during a live Canva design session, building out a "Be the Chane" t-shirt concept in real time.

The designs ranged from bold statement pieces — "BE YOU DO YOU KNOW YOU," "#NEED DAT," "Lovers Love Hard XOXO" — to school pride tees featuring the Curtis Warrior. Each one reflected something personal. Each one was original.

The program culminated on the last day of school. While students picked up their report cards, the team set up an outdoor pop-up on the Curtis grounds — a full merch showcase under the maroon Warriors tent. Students and staff all walked away with shirts designed by the students. It had the feel of a real merch pop-up — because that's exactly what it was. Students ran the tables, handled sales, and watched their classmates and teachers wearing something they created.

More Than a Project

What makes the Curtis program stand apart is what happened after the showcase. The students now have a live online store — curtiswarriors-shop.fourthwall.com — where their designs are available for anyone to purchase. Hoodies, crewnecks, tees, journals, stickers, water bottles — all branded, all designed by Curtis Warrior students. This isn't a class assignment that ends when the bell rings. It's a real storefront with real products.

That's the difference between learning about entrepreneurship and doing it.

Why It Matters

School Spirit Enterprise teaches students that creativity is a career path. Design, branding, eCommerce, marketing, production — these are skills that translate directly into the real world. When a student sees their design on a hoodie that someone paid for, something clicks. They stop thinking of this as school and start thinking of it as theirs.

Ms. O'Malley, Mr. Fabian, and Mr. DiTrento helped make this program possible at Curtis. The program was sponsored by Projectivity Group and Stereotype Co — two organizations rooted in Staten Island that share a commitment to creating real opportunities for young people through the arts.

Just the Beginning

Every student who walked into that classroom left with more than a t-shirt design. They left with a brand, a store, and proof that their ideas have value. Whatever comes next for these students — whether it's fashion, tech, business, or something nobody's thought of yet — they now know that dreams can become reality. We hope you don't stop dreaming.

Shop Curtis Warriors

Support the students and check out their work at curtiswarriors-shop.fourthwall.com.

Learn More

To learn more about the School Spirit Enterprise program, visit schoolspiritenterprise.com.

Photography by Dominic Rosalia