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Meyers Elementary Students Cultivate Business Success
South Lake Tahoe – May 16, 2024 –
In South Lake Tahoe, Meyers Elementary fourth-graders achieved remarkable success, launching a business venture that went “from seed to sale”. The students’ project involved everything from developing business plans to cultivation and sales. By growing and selling plants at the local Grow Your Own Festival, the students generated a profit.The fourth-grade business initiative provided real-world experience. For more details, explore the story.
Meyers Elementary Students Cultivate Business Success: From Seed to Sale
South Lake Tahoe, Calif. – Fourth-grade students at Meyers Elementary School blossomed into young entrepreneurs this year, turning their green thumbs into a profitable venture. Students in Ms. Green’s and Mrs. Benavidez’s classes combined hands-on learning with business acumen, culminating in a triumphant plant sale at the Grow Your Own Festival.
The students’ hard work paid off, yielding an impressive $2,332 in profit.
The Seeds of Entrepreneurship
The project began in the classroom,where students developed thorough business plans. This included:
- Naming their businesses
- Developing marketing strategies
- Pitching to investors
- Analyzing profit margins
- Learning customer service and transaction-handling skills
What set this project apart was the students’ direct involvement in cultivating their products.They grew hanging petunia baskets, herbs, and strawberries in the Meyers Elementary greenhouse.
From Greenhouse to Grow Your Own Festival
the students’ hard work culminated in a public plant sale at the local Grow Your Own Festival.They sold out their entire inventory, demonstrating their business skills and the appeal of their homegrown products.
The profits from the sale will directly benefit next year’s 5th-grade class, funding their overnight field trip. this creates a tangible connection between the students’ efforts and the reward.
Behind the Scenes: Support and Dedication
The success of this project was made possible by the dedication of several individuals and organizations:
- Master gardener parent volunteers Kristianne Hanneman and Brandi Caskey, who oversaw the program and donated countless hours.
- The Meyers Elementary PTA, whose generous grant helped launch the student business.
- Dave Long from UC master Gardeners, who provided invaluable time, knowledge, and guidance.
- The Greenhouse Project in Carson City, Full Circle Compost for their soil donation, and Nourse Farms for providing strawberry roots.
Principal’s Perspective
Principal Dameral expressed immense pride in the students’ accomplishments, stating:
we are so proud of our students for taking ownership of this project from seed to sale. This initiative not only taught them academic concepts in math, writing, and science, but also critically important life skills like teamwork, responsibility, and financial literacy.
Principal Dameral, Meyers Elementary
Experiential Education in Action
Meyers Elementary’s 4th-grade business project exemplifies experiential education, nurturing young minds one plant at a time.
