At Housman Elementary School on Thursday, students were busy checking supplies of fruit, ice, cups, straws, and a wide array of candy in anticipation of making a sale.
Their hard work ensured that any of the lemonade stands set up in mini-mall fashion across the school’s cafeteria were ready to deliver during the school’s Lemonade Day experience.
Since Lemonade Day’s inception in 2007, student participants have experienced the fun of having their own business, a lemonade stand, while growing key entrepreneurial skills critical for future careers - a vision that aligns with and supports the development of SBISD’s Core Characteristic of a T-2-4 Ready Graduate.
Every student had a job – some even donning bright yellow banana suits as part of a self-described marketing strategy to attract customers. In preparation for the day, students constructed and painted lemonade stands and focused on developing products and sales strategies to sell their lemonade.
This celebration of entrepreneurship is something that the school’s staffers and SBISD Good Neighbor, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston, see as a powerful way to engage kids in learning while connecting to the larger community.
"It’s about workforce readiness,” said Travis Evans of the Boys and Girls Club. “We want our kids to be successful in life; that’s why we’re doing this.”
For Damari and Emily, Housman students and members of The Lemonanas Team, the definition of that success was simple. “They were really happy,” said Emily about her customer’s experience. “I found out I am a nice person,” said Damari.
View photos from this event.