Young entrepreneurs shop their wares

Mayville students have hands-on economics lesson

By Karen Girard Special to your Catholic Herald

Levi Roskopf and Bob Hoffman prepare drinks for sale at “Levi and Bob’s Happy Place” which was open for business in Mayville during St. Mary School’s economic fair last month. (Catholic Herald photo by Sam Arendt) MAYVILLE — Junior high students at St. Mary Catholic School got real-life marketing experience at the school’s third biennial economics fair held at the end of April. “As part of the social studies curriculum, students learned what it takes to run a business,” said Amy Enfelt, the school’s sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher. This marketing project, which takes children from determining what to sell, to making the product, to marketing it at the fair, began in mid-March. She and eighth grade teacher William Bojar coordinated the project, which called on the students’ math and English skills as well. “The children have to keep a checkbook register, listing what they take in and what they pay out,” explained Enfelt. They signed promissory notes for any money they borrowed for start-up costs. Profits the students make after repaying their loans will be applied to field trips. The students were also required to do marketing research, and write a professional business plan. “After the fair, they will do a reflection paper describing what they did, what worked and what they’d do differently, and what they learned from the project,” Enfelt said. Local business owners spoke to students about operating a small business. “We heard from a woman who took over an already existing business from her grandfather,” said Enfelt. “We also had a young business owner from Fond du Lac who opened up a shop with his wife two years ago. So the students got to hear about running an established business, and about starting up a new one.” Jewelry and mini-pizzas were some of the best-selling items at the fair, said Enfelt. Parents, parishioners and fellow students comprised the fair’s attendees. “Some of the children sold the same products. We allowed this, so they could see competition is part of running a business. Overall, we want them to learn what it takes to run a business, and to realize that a business can be run at any age,” said Enfelt.