COLONIE—Susan Stone, an educator at Colonie Central High School, has been awarded the Broadview Innovative Educator Award, which includes a $1,000 grant to support innovative, hands-on learning programs for students.
Stone plans to use the grant to enhance Wolfie’s Den, a student-run store introduced this fall to promote the school’s new Colonie Wolf Pack brand.
Wolfie’s Den is a collaborative initiative involving the school’s business and graphics clubs. The store provides students with practical business experience by selling merchandise that represents the new Wolf Pack identity, helping to foster school pride and unity within the community. Through this project, students gain real-world skills in inventory management, product design, and customer service as part of a project-based learning model.
Stone’s award will fund the purchase of a point-of-sale (POS) system for Wolfie’s Den, allowing students to manage inventory, track sales, and generate product reports, which are essential skills in business operations. She is also exploring options for incorporating online payment via devices like iPads, working in collaboration with Elevation Ten Thousand to streamline the shopping experience for both students and the wider community.
In this partnership, Business Club members handle logistics, sales, and customer interactions, while Graphics Club students design merchandise and branding materials. Together, they are bringing Colonie’s new brand identity to life while building valuable skills that will benefit them beyond high school.
