February 25, 2025 – North Ridgeville, OH
Students at North Ridgeville High School are going to have the opportunity to see firsthand how their designs are made into reality with the help of local experiential design/build firm RGI Creative. As part of their “Experience RGI” initiative that provides philanthropic support and services to area organizations, RGI Creative teamed up with the Able Not Label team of entrepreneurs at North Ridgeville High School to spruce up their Able Shop.
The Able Shop at North Ridgeville High School acts as a fundraiser for the 14 students that are part of the Able Not Label group. Here, they sell North Ridgeville High School related merchandise such as shirts and mugs, as well as confectionery and bakery type goods. The students participate in the design, creation, and sale of each item so that they may learn every aspect of the business.
Able Not Label provides students with money management skills, social skills, vocational skills, and customer service. Proceeds earned go back toward community-based instruction, special projects, field trips, enhancing existing programs, and creating new programs where there is a need. To that end, they teamed up with RGI Creative to look at ways to make the shop a little more interesting and inviting.
North Ridgeville Schools coordinator of community partners and educational opportunities Lee Armbruster said working with RGI Creative has been “tremendously positive” for not only the school in general, but with the students specifically in fostering creativity.
Armbruster said that in her role, she kept hearing about RGI Creative from colleagues about what an amazing company they are, and she finally got the opportunity to work with them when putting together a program for the school called ‘Future Fair.’ For the past four years, the North Ridgeville Schools have been partnering with local businesses and organizations to expose students to potential future career paths.
Her and North Ridgeville City Schools superintendent Roxann Ramsey-Caserio also toured RGI Creative, while the school reciprocated for RGI Creative to tour the high school to help shape an experiential vision. Now, collaboratively, they work together to create experience opportunities for students, staff and visitors and bring in students to better learn the experiential design process.
“It’s a beautiful partnership and we’re so appreciative of everything they’re doing,” Armbruster said.
According to RGI Creative research and education manager Marnie Louis, the Able Not Label students were provided with materials to brainstorm some ideas for the renovation.
“We thought, well why not make this a more exciting space for them and make it more functional and also more inviting for people when they come up to the window,” Louis explained. “We thought it'd be a great opportunity to have the students actually partake in making the design that are going to go on the facade of that exterior."
“I spent a day working with the students where I led a design session and we talked about how best we could represent,” Louis continued. “They do a lot with inspirational slogans, so we selected three of those slogans and then they designed artwork based on those slogans. They were great. They had produced all sorts of wonderful artwork and now we’re going to take that artwork and we're going to put it together in a really cool, kind of abstract sort of way.”
RGI Creative expects the installation of the new façade to happen in April.
The students will be going to the RGI Creative facilities on March 5 for a tour of the business and to meet not only the team who creates these experiential exhibits firsthand, but to also see how they create these amazing exhibits and displays. They’ll meet with the research, creative and building teams and even have them help put the finishing touches on their forthcoming display. RGI Creative will also be helping them design a new piece of merchandise that will be sold at their shop.
Louis said it’s all an opportunity for RGI Creative to not just give back or donate to a school, but to actually immerse the students in a real-life scenario where they could see themselves working in this type of business one day.
“Education is something we feel really passionate about,” Louis said. “To really be involved with the students and to help teach design thinking, we can be an example of what you're learning in school is something that you really can take out into the professional world and utilize.”
RGI Creative is a design and fabrication firm that specializes in exhibits, events, and environments. With over 45 years of service, we’re known for excellence, innovation, and commitment to our clients’ visions. Our integrated approach, combining innovative design, cutting-edge technology, and a human-centric ethos, allows us to craft memorable and impactful experiences for a diverse range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, museums, and other institutions worldwide. More information can be found at www.RGICreative.com.
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