My name is Cara Schlichting and I work at Iowa Elementary School, a public school in Aurora, CO. Our school is made up of 77% economically disadvantaged students with an 82% minority enrollment. Currently, students are studying small businesses and their advantage to the local community in both literacy and social studies. I am working hard to implement a project in which students are creating and running their own small businesses using products they've created. All funds students raise will go back into our school so as to reinforce the funds benefiting the local community. The project has a multitude of benefits for students including: team-building, entrepreneurship cultivation, economic literacy, writing practice (business plan), practice with language through persuasive/sales techniques, and STEM development via product production.

The issue I am running into, is finding funding for materials students will need for product production. Since I am unable to fund this project with my own money, unless we are able to acquire outside help, students will only experience creating an imaginary business. Please help my students bring their business plans to fruition!

Craft supplies (glue, glitter, yarn, beads, etc.)

Baking ingredients for students choosing to sell baked goods

Again, students will create a small business plan and proposal regardless, but with your help, students will actually get to experience running a real business with real profits. In our community, it is difficult for my students to see themselves as future successes career-wise. I want to foster the belief in my students that regardless of external circumstances, hard work paired with innovation can have a positive impact on their lives as well as the world.