Inside Round Rock High School, a student-run print shop churns out posters, T-shirts, window decals and more for school organizations and local businesses.

The goal, RRISD marketing teacher Tiffanie Harrison said, is to promote entrepreneurship among students.

Dragon Print Shop, the school’s wide-format print and design facility, was the subject of the South by Southwest EDU Conference & Festival panel, “Startup: 21st Century Intraprenuership.”

The design and production programs allow students to work with clients, try out new business strategies and learn to make mistakes said Sarah Sherrill, the design program's graphic design teacher.

"This has really been a real world experience," she said. "They get to understand what it is like to work with a difficult client. It’s not just about making what you like but actually collaborating, and that is a huge thing just to give those students those soft skills that I wish I had then. We're still learning those today."

Although the print shop provides a learning process for students studying design, business systems and other subjects, it also generates about $75,000 in revenue each school year for operating 1.5 hours each day. The revenue is used towards scholarships, field trips and other expenses.

None of the profit has to go back toward paying for the equipment because it was purchased with money from a Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education grant, Harrison said.

Sherrill said she hopes audience members recognize the significance of teaching business skills in high schools.

“We have a student that started his own business—it's a network of black creatives, which we think is awesome. We're not under any delusion that they are going to just go and print,” Sherrill said. “This is so much bigger than printing and it's even bigger than designing. It’s about the confidence and the skills built to chase and pursue whatever they want to do.”