FEATURE | CONNECTION
WHEN LIFE GIVES THEM LEMONS… THEY BECOME YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS! By Cathryn Sprynczynatyk When Christine Nelson and Josie Smyle took over the Lemonade Day program last year, they had a trial by fire. Not only were they experiencing for the first-time an event that engages 500 youth in Bismarck-Mandan. They experienced their first Lemonade Day during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s all in the past. Happily, Lemonade Day returned to normal in 2021. Nelson and Smyle are the City Directors of Lemonade Day. They are also Event & Sales Manager and Events Coordinator, respectively, at the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC. On June 19, Bismarck-Mandan hosted its fifth annual Lemonade Day. Lemonade Day is a curriculum based out of Lemonade Day national headquarters in Houston. The free curriculum teaches young entrepreneurs how to start a business through the model of setting up a lemonade stand. “Having kids learn about entrepreneurship at a young age may interest them in being an entrepreneur when they get older,” Smyle said. This year, 475 kids registered for Lemonade Day. This was a big improvement after COVID-19 impacted numbers and only 188 kids registered in 2020.
The Lemonade Day curriculum is designed for grades 3-8, but it can be adapted to any age level.
Youth learn business and entrepreneurship lessons such as the cost of goods, return on investment, creating their product, expenses, profit margins, and collaborating with business partners. The curriculum is designed for grades 3-8, but it can be adapted to any age level. Simle Middle School Teacher Kerry Oberlander brought Lemonade Day to his students. In May, his students created lemonade stands, sold lemonade and baked goods to their classmates, and donated the profits to the Simle Middle School pantry. On average, each group made $85 in 20-minutes of sales. Jared Shoults served as a Lemonade Day City Champion this year. Shoults is Co-Owner of multiple restaurants including Grand Junction Grilled Subs, Laughing Sun Brewery, and The Craftcade. “It’s very important to inspire young people and show them it’s possible,” Shoults said. “It’s not a crazy, out-there dream to run your own business.” Since the Chamber EDC has been running Lemonade Day for five years, the staff have seen some young entrepreneurs grow up before their eyes. Abby Daniels has participated in Lemonade Day for multiple years, and she is a past winner of the Best Tasting Contest. This year, Daniels graduated to being a judge for the Best Tasting Contest.
Lemonade Day 2021 has 475 participants across Bismarck-Mandan.
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“We’re excited to see the growth next year,” Nelson said. “We know it’s going to be bigger, better and more entrepreneurial.”
