Student Entrepreneurs Make a Difference with Lemon-Aid Day

POULSBO, Wash. - Sept. 23, 2014 - PRLog -- This fall middle school students at West Sound Academy, an independent International Baccalaureate World School in Poulsbo, have been learning the ins and outs of business ownership as they prepared for the first Lemon-Aid Day event in the North Kitsap region.  Students built their own stands, chose a local charity to benefit from their work, and then worked the sales counters on a sunny Sunday on September 21,2014 during the annual Kitsap Color Classic bicycle tour that takes place around the North Kitsap region every fall.  In partnership with Cascade Bicycle Club, hosts of the tour, WSA student volunteers set up Lemon-Aid Day stands along the bike route selling lemonade to riders and spectators.

Leading up to the day of the event, the school conducted practice market days, when student sellers brought in treats or crafts to sell to student buyers.  Those customers were issued pretend WSA dollars to use to make their purchases.  Overall the exercise was intended to promote entrepreneurship, financial awareness and marketing skills and to help Lemon-Aid entrepreneurs get ready for their day of selling to the public.

Hillman first learned about this idea from a similar event started in Austin, Texas through Kelle Kitchel-Cooper of Rockfish Group.  Working together, Kitchel-Cooper and Hillman have also partnered with the City of Poulsbo and Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce to get the event off the ground.

Ten students from WSA built and decorated three stands located in Kingston, Port Gamble and Poulsbo. Mayor Becky Erickson, a strong proponent of student entrepreneurs made a point of visiting each stand.

“We even had a sponsor from Kris Cornell of the Quilted Strait in Port Gamble. Her sponsorship of the Port Gamble stand made a huge impression on the kids and allowed them to really believe they were able to raise a significant amount of money to donate in one day,” says Hillman.

“At West Sound Academy, students participate in all sorts of creative, active and service learning opportunities and Lemon-Aid day embodies all of those learning experiences because the student groups each chose a charity that is important to them, they design their own stand and they have to operate the stand all day as well, “ says Hillman.

Proceeds from the day of lemonade sales will be given to three local charities: Kitsap Fishline, The American Red Cross and Kitsap Humane Society.