When you see a creative T-shirt design or a post on PHS social media, chances are it was made in Piper Graphics. “I feel like most people know about Piper Graphics, and most people know what we offer,” said Piper Graphics teacher Susan McPherson. While the program is well-known, many students don’t realize just how much it impacts the school’s look and feel.

Piper Graphics does more than just make T-shirts and media for around the school. Students in the program also get the chance to build their own digital portfolios. They complete projects that are assigned in class but also have the freedom to do their own designs. This gives them work they can use for scholarships, jobs, or even just to show what they’ve learned.

Before students can take Piper Graphics, they have to take some prerequisite classes. The first is Drawing by Designers, where they learn the basics of design and practice putting their ideas on paper. After that comes Graphic Design, a computer-based class where students learn to use Adobe programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. These classes prepare students for the work they’ll be doing in Piper Graphics.

The program itself started only a few years ago. At first, Piper Graphics mainly focused on creating designs for the community. Back then, students would come up with T-shirt designs but had to send them out to be printed, which was expensive for small orders. About three or four years ago, the program got the equipment to make its own shirts. Now students can design, press, and sell them right at the school.

Piper Graphics wasn’t originally its own class. It grew out of Piper’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways. “It’s actually not called Piper Graphics in the state of Kansas. That’s when we adopted or brought in the pathway to Piper; that’s when Piper Graphics originated,” McPherson explained. What started as a pathway project has since turned into one of Piper’s most creative classes.

For students, the program is more than just another elective. “It’s really cool to see things we worked on in the Piper community. It reaches people from the elementary school to parents,” said junior Avery Walker. “We will see our stuff out at football games and it’s interesting to see how all of it works and to get to experience it.”