Tanger Outlets recently awarded a grant to Penn-Trafford High School business teacher Kim Stefkovich. This check, totaling $1,200, will fund important software for her Honors Introduction to Administration and Management class.

     “This is my first grant for my classroom in 20 years,” Stefkovich said, “so I’m pretty excited.”

     The check itself is one of 160 TangerKids awards that support education. In total, over $190,000 were distributed to teachers across the country. 

     Stefkovich explained that the funds will go towards implementing an online simulation software for the fall of 2025. This software allows the user to operate a virtual bike shop. She said that her management class will accomplish this in small groups.

     “This simulation adds to the hands-on learning more so than out of a textbook,” she added.

     The idea to use simulation software stemmed from the Intro to Business course at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC), where the same program is used for risk assessment, a key skill in making informed business decisions. Stefkovich said that she hopes to replicate that learning experience at P-T.

     The software requires an annual license renewal, and Stefkovich said that she plans to secure the additional funding through her management students’ T-shirt project in the second semester. This will help ensure that the software remains a part of her curriculum in the future.

     This is the 18th year the class has participated in the T-shirt project. The assignment itself involves each group working on different tasks such as creating a company name, designing a T-shirt and developing a commercial. The project has donated over $130,000 to charity over the years.

     The Intro to Business class is available to freshmen and sophomores, while Intro to Admin and Management is for sophomores, juniors and seniors. It is not necessary to take Business in order to take Admin, Honors Business Law or Honors Accounting. However, Admin is an honors course and has college credit available through La Roche University.

     Stefkovich stated that the simulation is intended to see how the students do with different decisions, and that she will observe how it impacts the students if used properly. The skills they will learn from the simulation will also prepare them for their T-shirt project.

     “This is a trial run next fall,” Stekovich said. “I am hoping, if all goes well, that it’ll be a fun thing that I can find the money for each fall.”