Each year, students from the Early College Career Academy (ECCA) participate in “Industry Challenges” as part of the ECCA program which builds on the student’s education and allows real-life experience. ECCA instructors and work-based learning coordinators help students team up with local companies to create these industry challenges throughout the year.
One recent industry challenge was working with PUSH Apparel on a t-shirt design and marketing campaign. Senior students from the New Media program and Business and Entrepreneurship program, who attend classes on the SUNY Adirondack Saratoga campus, were participants.
The relationship began with a tour of the PUSH Apparel facility, followed by PUSH Apparel team members coming into the class to speak with the students. PUSH Apparel, a creative apparel design company located in South Glens Falls, NY, wanted to create a student design t-shirt competition that would promote student designs and help increase their following on Instagram.
New Media seniors were tasked with coming up with an in-depth design representing duality. Duality is an important part of PUSH Apparel’s mantra of “two sides to every story” and is encapsulated in their two headed donkey logo. Out of the 15 New Media students who created illustrations, three of the best designs were chosen as finalists.
The project then turned to focus on marketing the shirts via a public voting campaign. That winning design would then be manufactured and sold through PUSH Apparel. All students received critiques and feedback on their designs from the business owners.
As a team, the Business and Entrepreneurship (B&E) seniors worked with PUSH Apparel to create a marketing plan which included an Instagram campaign that would increase followers and get the public excited to vote for a winning shirt. B&E students interviewed the three New Media design finalists to understand the concept behind their designs. Students created a social media posting schedule based on when the best time would be to grab the public’s interest to be a part of the campaign. They were successful in increasing the instagram following.
New Media senior, Chaylyn Harrington’s Illusio design won the contest. Her design was declared the “winner for the @Push_Apparel Tee Shirt Design Competition 2024” and sales of the shirt would be offered through the PUSH Apparel website.
The design winner will also be awarded a scholarship from PUSH Apparel at the ECCA graduation ceremony in June.