School Spirit Enterprise at I.S. 75: Building Brands, Carrying a Legacy
For the second year in a row, David Nudelman brought the School Spirit Enterprise program to Frank D. Paulo I.S. 75, the same school where his father, Barry Nudelman, spent years as Music Director before retiring. The program was made possible by IlluminArt Productions.
Over 15 weeks, Nudelman and assistant Shawn McArthur worked in Ms. Runfolo's classroom to walk students through the full arc of building a brand. The curriculum covered everything from design fundamentals and Canva to print-on-demand, mockups, eCommerce platforms, customer service, budgeting, and website building. Students even ran through a shop simulator and a budget simulator to understand what it actually costs to operate a business.
By the end, all 90 students — across three groups of 30 — had a custom shirt they designed and a website they built themselves.
In His Own Words
"It meant a lot to walk the halls and offer this program where he spent his teaching career." — David Nudelman
What the Students Said
On the last day, students shared their experience. Their answers tell the story better than any recap could.
"No matter what design you have, people will accept you for who you are." — G
"Taking the time to be creative is better than being quick to just do it with random things and AI." — Marina
"It can really show confidence in somebody and can really bring out creativity." — B
"I learned that when you have a dream you have to work very hard on it." — E
"Even if they are not interested in designing, they can still learn about how you can make a brand, and run your own business." — Y
"The teachers are amazing. They are always ready to listen. They walk you through what you need to do." — A
And one student, Katherine, wrote that the thing she learned was simple: "Never stop dreaming."
The Importance of Design Education
Design is one of the most underrated programs in schools, but it's in everything. The logos we see, the chairs we sit on, the apps we open, the packaging we tear apart. It's everywhere, and most people never think about who taught someone to do that.
Teachers like Ms. Runfolo show up every day and show kids that there are real opportunities to be creative. She opened her doors and was a huge support to this program from start to finish. Without educators like her making space for design in the classroom, programs like School Spirit Enterprise don't happen.
Why It Matters
For Nudelman, walking the halls of I.S. 75 carried its own weight. This is the school his father dedicated years to as Music Director. Coming back as a teaching artist, in the same building with a new generation of students, closed a circle that most people never get to close.
School Spirit Enterprise teaches students that creativity is more than a hobby. It's a skill set. Design, branding, eCommerce, budgeting, marketing. These are tools that translate directly into the real world. When a student builds a website and sees their design on a shirt, they stop thinking of it as a school project and start thinking of it as theirs.
Just the Beginning
Every student who walked into that classroom left with more than a t-shirt and a website. They left knowing they can create something, build something, and put it out into the world. That's not a lesson you forget. 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.
To learn more about the School Spirit Enterprise program, visit schoolspiritenterprise.com.