Eighteen students from the Apparel II class at Cary High School decided to donate the proceeds from their business venture to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The class presented a check for $500 to the organization’s executive director on Jan. 16.

As part of the class curriculum, students from the fall-semester class set up and ran a store at the school, said career and technical education teacher Lisa Allen. They created accessories and sold the goods to fellow students.

Money raised from the project could be used to buy something for the classroom. But students voted to donate to the cancer fund.

Here, Allen talks about the class and what’s happening at Cary High.

Q: What are your goals for the apparel students?

In Apparel I, students learn beginning sewing, the basic sewing techniques.

In Apparel II Enterprise, students can take the class for honors credit or as an academic class. They learn about fibers and fabric and the elements and principles of design. We do a unit on fashion and learn more difficult sewing techniques as well as setting up and running a store.

Q: What did your students sell in their store this past semester?

They designed their own fabric through Spoonflower in Durham. They made lanyards with the Cary Imp on them. They were available in three background colors: white, pink or black.

They also made key fobs, bow ties for the guys, fabric bows and ribbon bows for the girls, and black fleece beanie hats.

For an extra fee, students could have their items monogrammed.

Q: How did the students decide how much inventory to create?

The items were made to order, but the students did a target market survey and had to project how much fabric to purchase.

One thing they thought would sell well was camouflage fabric, and it didn’t sell at all. It was a valuable lesson.

Q: So the students made $500 and donated the money. What has been done with the proceeds in the past?

Our goal is to at least break even. Last year, the class voted to buy one big thing for the classroom, so we got some cutting tables for use in the apparel classes.

Q: A new Apparel III class is launching at Cary High. What will those students learn?

We are in the pilot phase of it. This will be the first semester we’ve offered it.

The Apex High School apparel teacher and I wrote the curriculum. We felt that students needed instruction beyond Apparel I and II. After they complete III, students can take a national certification exam. We used it as our guideline for the curriculum.

We will do a unit on draping, or manipulating the fabric on a dress form. They will learn basic sketching, how to sew from flat patterns and how to make things in half-scale.

The Apparel III class has a global focus. We will be talking about things from a global perspective and will talk about the environment, which will lead us into redesigning and refashioning from things that already exist.