A $100,000 private donation to the Gervais School District is set to significantly expand learning opportunities for students in digital arts, culinary arts, business, and media production at Gervais High School. Details shared by Visual Communications, CTE teacher, yearbook adviser, and school photographer Sarah Orschel highlight just how transformative this investment will be for Gervais students.
The funding will support the build-out of a student-operated store and the creation of a dedicated production studio, two upgrades that will reshape how students design, produce, and share their work.
New Equipment, New Possibilities
In the Visual Communications program, students have traditionally been limited in what they could create in-house. Apparel offerings relied on single-color heat transfers and a small selection of designs. With new equipment, including a direct-to-film printer, students can now design and produce full-color custom Gervais gear entirely on campus.
The shift moves students from simply printing designs to owning the full creative pipeline. They will concept, design, produce, and sell their own branded merchandise through the student store, blending graphic design, marketing, entrepreneurship, and business operations into one cohesive experience.
"The generous private donation we have received will be a game-changer for these high school programs and really level them up."
Sarah Orschel, Visual Communications and CTE Teacher, Gervais High School
A Dedicated Studio Space
According to Orschel, the donation also makes possible something the program has long needed: a dedicated studio space. With proper lighting, backdrops, and production infrastructure, students will be able to photograph athletes, design and print senior banners for the gym, and produce higher-quality content for the yearbook and Inkling newspaper.
The studio will also open the door to expanded multimedia storytelling, including video interviews and online news content, giving students experience that closely mirrors professional production environments.
Career-Connected Learning in Action
Perhaps most importantly, the investment gives students the space and structure to work like a true production team. Instead of creating projects within limited infrastructure, they will now have a real-world environment where ideas can move from concept to finished product.
For Gervais High School students, the impact goes beyond upgraded equipment. It creates authentic, career-connected learning experiences that prepare them for futures in design, media, business, and the culinary arts while strengthening school pride through student-created work.