Salem-Keizer kids tap into entrepreneurship with Lemonade Day
Dozens of kids squeezed fresh lemons into glass containers, dropped in heaps of cut strawberries and sliced lemons and screamed, "lemonade only one dollar" to passersby.
Lemonade Day returned to Salem and Keizer and made an appearance at the Keizer Iris Festival, where at least eight stands were manned by kids eager to test out entrepreneurship techniques they learned as part of the national program.
The program teaches kids about supply and demand, math calculations in a customer service environment, return on investment and teamwork and problem-solving techniques - all while whipping up some refreshing, freshly squeezed lemonade just in time for warm weather.
"We've worked on those techniques for months now and we're finally implementing those techniques," said Noelia Lahmann, the site director for Englewood Elementary School from the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation.
The foundation is the lead organization for the Salem-Keizer Lemonade Day for the second year in a row.
"It's great seeing the kids coming out and selling lemonade so we can see all the hard work that they've done," Lahmann said.
She said she loves watching the kids stepping out behind the stands and utilizing sales techniques they learned in lessons.
Some kids stopped passersby in their tracks and said "you look like you've had a long day, a cup of lemonade will do the trick."
Many customers lingered at each stand and bought more than just a cup of lemonade and pocketed homemade cookies and lollipops for their own children.
"We're just happy to see these kids learning about what it means to be entrepreneurs and see all of their hard work in action," Lahmann said.
To learn more about the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation, visit http://skeducationfoundation.org.
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