Helping students transform creativity into entrepreneurship

A semester-long course by Brenda Adames guiding high school students through building a digital marketplace from Etsy storefronts to social media strategy, SEO, and print-on-demand.

Grades 9–12 12 weeks · 6 modules Topic: E-commerce Instructor: Brenda Adames
Illustration of a woman with long hair sitting with her legs stretched out, looking at her phone, with an online shopping webpage displaying a T-shirt and a search bar in the background and a yellow shopping cart icon nearby.

e-commerce essentials

COURSE OVERVIEW

Week 1-2: Introduction to E-Commerce

  • Overview of the e-commerce landscape

  • Introduction to platforms like Etsy

  • Understanding the role of online retail in today’s economy

Week 3-4: Creating Your Digital Storefront

  • What can you make? Exploring product types and creative possibilities

  • Identifying a need: researching your market and customer

  • Branding your product: logo, name, voice, and visual identity)

Week 5-6: Social Media Marketing

  • Photography and visual merchandising basics for online stores

  • Developing a social media marketing strategy

  • Leveraging social commerce for business success

Week 7-8: Search Engine Optimization

  • Understanding the basics of SEO

  • Optimizing product listings for search visibility

  • Strategies for improving rankings and driving organic traffic

Week 9-10: Analytics & Print-on-Demand Products

Week 11-12: Final Showcase: Power of the pitch

  • Exploring print-on-demand services

  • Integrating POD products into your store

  • Introduction to e-commerce analytics tools

  • Analyzing key metrics for business success

  • Crafting your business pitch and value proposition

  • Presenting your Etsy store and product line to a panel

  • Competing for the $1,000 MUSE Foundation prize

example of class slide deck

Two yellow quotation marks with black shadows on a white background.

Turning Student’s ideas into income one product at a time

Before this program, I never imagined someone would buy something I made. I learned how to design products, create a brand, and sell online. It was such a cool feeling when someone bought my cat hoodie on Etsy, it showed me that my creativity has real value!

- Sharon Perez (Spring 2025)

Two yellow quotation marks on a black background.
Cartoon illustration of a cheerful young man kneeling with one knee down, giving a thumbs up with his right hand. Behind him is a yellow background with icons of a T-shirt, a laptop, a shopping cart, and a hanger.
Four people, three women and one young girl, smiling and holding large amounts of cash at an outdoor table during daytime. The group appears to be celebrating or participating in an event, with various papers, water bottles, and items on the table, and a canopy overhead.