In an effort to teach students about what it is like to run a business, students in grades 6, 7 and 8 at Hillcrest School recently participated in a Maker’s Market.
Teachers began discussing the project in September, and each week, students would spend time developing their product and budget.
On Friday and today, their selling skills were tested. Their products went on display at the first ever Maker’s Market, which was open to teachers students and members of the public.
Grade 8 student Liv Jones made bookmarks, “I was kind of nervous at first, but then I started seeing the money coming. Soon I didn’t have very many left.”
She says this project will help with her budgeting in the future, “I learned how to interact with others and learned how to add all of the profit and the sales.”
Grade 7 student Hannah Leblanc found the experience very beneficial as well, “It was very interesting to see how quickly my product sold. I was happy that we did this project this year. In the past, we just did science and you would make a project. I find this will really encourage the kids and it motivates them to want to participate.”
Students sold products including bookmarks, pet rocks, decals, stuffed pillows, framed photographs, and pencil cases.
Ten per cent of the profits are being donated to two charities, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Shelley Smith Memorial Fund, who was a teacher from Hillcrest who passed away last year.
Leblanc says she has always had an interest in being an entrepreneur, “Ever since I was as young as six years old, I’ve always been trying to get the best deal. This will really help me for the future. This will help me prepare for high school, and it will prepare me for the real world.”
This is the first time Hillcrest School has held a Maker’s Market, but it went so well, teachers are expected to do it again next year.
