Screen Printing Shop
The screen print shop at RISS will be part of the campus enterprises workforce track, providing residents with hands-on experience in custom apparel, print production, order fulfillment, design preparation, customer service, and small-business operations.
This will not be a hobby room.
It will be structured as a working production shop where residents can learn practical skills connected to apparel printing, branding, promotional products, event merchandise, nonprofit campaigns, local business orders, and RISS-branded products.
The screen print shop will support both internal and external work. Internally, it may produce RISS shirts, resident work shirts, event apparel, volunteer shirts, staff apparel, program materials, fundraiser merchandise, and campus enterprise branding. Externally, the shop may take orders from local businesses, churches, schools, nonprofits, community groups, events, and partner organizations.
Residents participating in the screen print workforce track may gain exposure to:
Screen preparation
Artwork setup
Design transfer
Ink mixing
Press operation
Garment loading
Print alignment
Quality control
Drying and curing
Folding and packaging
Order tracking
Inventory management
Customer communication
Pricing basics
Production scheduling
Workplace safety
Small-business operations
The goal is not simply to teach residents how to print a shirt.
The goal is to expose them to the full process of turning an idea into a finished product that someone is willing to buy.
Residents may learn how orders are received, quoted, produced, checked, packaged, delivered, and followed up on. They may also learn how mistakes affect cost, timing, customer trust, and profit margins.
The screen print shop will also connect naturally with other RISS enterprise areas, including the art studio, digital storefront, publishing work, fundraising campaigns, community events, and resident-created products. Artwork developed on campus may become merchandise. RISS campaigns may become apparel. Resident creativity may become a source of income, visibility, and pride.
For some residents, this track may support future employment in print shops, warehouses, fulfillment centers, apparel companies, sign shops, promotional product companies, or small manufacturing environments.
For others, it may provide a foundation for self-employment, side work, or small business development.
The screen print shop is one more example of how RISS intends to treat workforce development as more than job readiness.
Residents need opportunities to work, practice, make mistakes, build skill, understand production, and see the connection between effort, quality, income, and responsibility.
Screen printing provides that opportunity in a practical, visible, and repeatable way.
Future Expansions
As campus enterprises continue to grow, the screen print shop may expand into additional production and fabrication capabilities. Future opportunities may include CNC laser engraving, laser cutting, woodcraft production, custom signage, awards and recognition products, engraved merchandise, promotional products, and small-scale manufacturing projects. As well as 3D printing.
These expanded operations would allow residents to gain experience with digital design, computer-controlled equipment, fabrication processes, product development, and production workflows used throughout a variety of industries.
Potential projects could include custom signs, engraved products, branded merchandise, decorative wood items, furniture components, organizational products, fundraising merchandise, donor recognition items, and products created for sale through the RISS storefront and community partnerships.
The long-term vision is to create a production environment where residents can develop practical skills across multiple forms of manufacturing, fabrication, design, and product creation while gaining real-world experience working with customer orders, quality standards, deadlines, and business operations.
If you believe reintegration should be built intentionally, not reactively, we invite you to explore how you can help bring the RISS model to life.
