ESTEVAN - Students at Hillcrest School had a big event on June 22.
After almost three years of a break, their mini-market program was brought back for some students to learn, and others to enjoy.
Through this program, Grades 5-8 had an opportunity to not only come up with a product and business model but also to try it out in real life.
"It's attached to the curriculum. It's attached to several different subjects that we work in. There's practical applied arts, where you have to [create] a business. And then it's attached to math. And it's attached to art ed because I make them make a commercial and so do the other teachers. And then they had to come up with their own logo, and name and design," explained Rebecca Bonokoski, who is a teacher at Hillcrest School.
This year all students decided to create businesses focused on food and drinks. They started working on their projects at the beginning of June.
Ellie Hayes, who created JAE's Cookies along with Jada Prokopetz and Allie Lainton, said they found the recipes online, and her mother also helped with it. They went through several ideas before they agreed on their business.
"I was going to make pizza. But then we just decided to go all together and make cookies," Lainton said.
They also considered making slushies, but cookies won the bet.
Tyrese Navarro was selling donuts. He said while his father had to help him with making dough, he made stuffed sweets himself for the first time.
Other young entrepreneurs had brownies, cabbage rolls, cupcakes, hotdogs, cheesecakes, lemonade, smoothies, puffed wheat cakes, burgers, tacos and poutine for sale at the mini-market.
Outside brainstorming the idea, logos and promotions, students also had to make sure their business would end up being profitable. They had to do a lot of math to make sure their company would end up bringing in more money than what they've spent. All profits from the mini-market will be used to organize a year-end celebration at the end of June.
Almost 50 students partook in the project and were a part of the mini-market. Some preferred to have individual businesses, while others created partnerships.
Bonokoski said the response was really good. Many other students, teachers, staff and families visited the mini-market to buy a lunch or a treat.
"We were really excited to show all of the stuff that they made because everything was made. There was nothing bought. They had to come up with those meals. And it was just a really good atmosphere," Bonokoski said.
She also thanked the community for the support.
"Just a quick shout out to our community, because we had lots of parents and family members show up," Bonokoski said.
