Sheridan Elementary trains entrepreneurs

Submitted by Sheridan Community Schools

On Friday, May 16, Sheridan Elementary School fourth graders took part in Entrepreneur Day as part of the Social Studies unit on economics. This is one of the most anticipated events of the school year and is a fourth-grade favorite every year. This tradition is a valuable hands-on learning experience that brings business and economics to life.

Entrepreneur Day challenges students to think creatively and critically about how businesses operate and what makes them successful. Each student was responsible for developing and submitting a business plan that outlines their product idea, target market, startup costs, and pricing strategies. The students create a non-edible product that encourages innovation. This results in an array of handcrafted goods, artwork, toys, and more.

Other classes in the school were invited to come visit and “buy” the product students are selling. These young entrepreneurs proudly showcased their products and practiced sales pitches and customer service skills as they engaged with their classmates.

Throughout this event, students learn vital skills such as: entrepreneurship, startup costs, supply and demand, profit and loss, pricing, scarcity, and marketing. The goal was for students to understand why some businesses succeed and others fail. Students gained real-world experience into starting, running, and maintaining a business.

Entrepreneur Day is a perfect example of how project-based learning, or PBL, can bring learning to life. Students weren’t just learning about economics – they were getting the opportunity to live it. Students had a lot of fun with this project and they were able to engage through hands-on learning and develop a deeper understanding of economics.

Great job to all of the fourth-grade entrepreneurs for their hard work, enthusiasm, and innovative ideas.