AISD After-School Students Put Entrepreneurial Skills to Test During Kids’ Day at Frost Bank Event

Naidalyn Flores from Goodman Elementary School displays the decorated potted plants sold at her “store” during Kids’ Day.

After-school students at Goodman Elementary School, Kujawa Elementary School and Stehlik Intermediate School participated in Kids’ Day at Frost Bank held recently at [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). They are among the 150 third to eight grade students that are enrolled in [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Cooperative for After-School Enrichment (CASE) programs at numerous sites in Harris County.

Participants set up shop where they sold homemade products created by students such as macramé bracelets and earrings, decorated potted plants, pipe cleaner rings, duct-tape purses and bracelets, tie-dyed shoelaces, jewelry boxes, pet rocks, crazy sunglasses, painted ceramic figurines and holiday ornaments. Frost Bank employees issued lines of credit and opened bank accounts complete with checks. To attract customers, students developed commercials and jingles.

“After studying the basic concepts of entrepreneurship, marketing and money management, our CASE after-school students took part in this culminating event, which was energetic and action-packed,” said Lisa Thompson-Caruthers, CASE director. “The skills they learned are practical, life lessons that are also aligned with the state standards known as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.”

At the Kids’ Day event, students experienced the challenges and opportunities associated with entrepreneurship, marketing and money management. They opened “stores” in the Kids’ Day Frost Bank Marketplace and used their knowledge of buying, selling, spending and saving to operate their businesses.

“We are proud to be involved with the Kids’ Day sponsorship and to work with students to help them gain practical experience with money management and banking,” said Joyce Tyler-Williams, Frost Bank senior vice president of community development. “Every year, these young banking customers demonstrate how extremely creative they are with their marketplace products.”

“The students from Aldine ISD did very well,” said Carol Vaughn, communications and media relations manager for HCDE. “This was a great opportunity for the students to show off how smart and product savvy they are.”

Kids’ Days are fun, educational projects that connect after-school students with real world issues. Students participating in Kids’ Day projects meet in their after-school programs for several weeks to work through prepared project-based learning curricula related to math, science, technology and the arts. Students from participating schools come together for a culminating event that gives them the opportunity to interact with each other, learn from professionals in related fields, and celebrate what they learned in their Kids’ Day classes.

Stehlik Intermediate School students (l-r) Dawn Ford and Sabrina Silva are seen making their sales pitch.

Ayleen Ramos from Raymond Academy writes a check during the Kids’ Day at Frost Bank event.