Woodland Elementary students showcase entrepreneurial skills

Avondale School District fourth grade students, Adam O’Deven and Kei Morishita were among a group of young entrepreneurs selling their wares from a booth and trying to turn a profit during the Woodland Elementary Small Business Day. “At first we priced our stuff out of the market,” explained Adam, “then we remembered that in business sometimes you have to lower the price in order to sell something.” Adam was applying an economics concept learned in Social Studies while he reflected on the success of his small business. “Next time we’ll start with the lower price.”

Woodland Elementary Small Business Day is an opportunity for students to experience and explore entrepreneurialism. Designed to bring the world of economics to life, the activity requires students to establish a company; develop a product; create a business plan; and design advertising pieces to promote their product and company. Adam and his partner, Kei called their company “Gifts and More”. They sold handcrafted costume masks while other students sold baked goods, handmade stress balls, key chains, decorated pencils, origami figurines and about thirty other unique items. In addition, some students sold services like having your nails painted or having a chance to practice your golf putt.

“We had a real variety of ideas this year,” principal Arryn Schneider said of the annual event, “the students were very engaged in the creative side of developing an idea that would be inexpensive to make and in demand.”

Schneider likes the product innovation side of the activity but stresses that it is also an opportunity for students to hone their persuasive writing skills while creating a business plan as well as advertising pieces; explore economic conditions like competition, fair pricing, scarcity and surplus; and polish their money management skills. “It’s a great cross-curricular activity incorporating economics terminology and concepts with writing and mathematics lessons,” she said.

Fourth grade teachers Dawn McIntyre, Dawn Polizzi and Amy Oliver were pleased with the outcomes of the event. “The students demonstrated a lot of business savvy today along with some important customer service skills,” said Polizzi. “They should be proud of how well they did.” Polizzi added that in addition to the skill building and academic merits of the activity, the event raised $1900 to help pay for a trip to the state capitol for the entire fourth grade class.

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