From selling purple-and-blue slime, to tropical soda drinks, Grade 7 students at Chris Hadfield Public School in Bradford West Gwillimbury created their own businesses and donated the $1,500 proceeds to charity.
The businesses were a product of teacher Gordon Sauve’s class, which taught students about the creativity and challenges of starting a business.
“It’s a real-life kind of experience,” said Sauve, adding this is the fifth year for the activity.
Students worked alone or in teams and used their own money to market and start their businesses. All the teams sold their products to students and teachers at the school earlier this month.
Students with the top-earning teams presented a cheque to incoming Bradford Lions Club president Jennifer Pegg on Thursday. The money will go toward the club’s Leos program for kids ages 12 to 18.
William Passfield, 12, and Ethan McComb, 12, created Bill and Ethan’s Oasis, where they decorated their table like a tiki bar with grass and a giant balloon in the shape of a drink.
They sold Shirley Temples and their signature Chug Jug made of blue Kool-Aid, gingerale, Fruitopia and a “secret ingredient,” said William.
Their drinks earned the most money of any team, with $190, and their expenses were $37.
“Everybody learned it’s not so easy running a business,” William said.
“I liked seeing (customers) full of joy,” added Ethan.
Sara Stojanovic, 12, and Arooj Awan, 13, created The Swirly Slime, where they sold multi-coloured slime and marketed it to the school’s kindergarteners.
They made several different kinds of fluffy- and stiff-textured slime, and called them Fire Fruit (red and orange), Melted Earth (blue and green), Pastel Galaxy (purple and blue), and Spongebob and Patrick (yellow and pink).
They earned $182, and their expenses were $92.
The team used marketing techniques, such as coupons and posters, said Arooj.
“(We learned) how precise a business needs to be to make it work out in the end,” said Sara.
