The halls of Tassajara Hills Elementary buzzed with creativity and commerce as the school hosted its inaugural Kidpreneur Day on March 7th, 2024. The event transformed the school’s assembly hall into a vibrant marketplace, overflowing with the handcrafted wares and services of our very own 2nd through 5th graders.
The idea for Kidpreneur Day is to foster in our students a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. The response was overwhelming! We received 93 applications for just 50 vendor spots. On event day, we welcomed a total of 76 student-run businesses to the event, both sole proprietorships and collaborative partnerships alike.
Product stalls overflowed with an impressive array of handcrafted wares. Hand-poured resin creations, paper quilling cards, and vibrantly scented candles shared space with adorable crocheted octopuses, handcrafted soaps, and even paper succulents! Of course, no student market would be complete without slime, and there were plenty of colorful concoctions to satisfy every slime enthusiast.
But Kidpreneur Day wasn’t just about products. One of our student-run businesses offered educational workshops on topics like composting and global warming, while others challenged their peers with trivia games and impressive hyperspring (slinky) tricks. The energy from shoppers was amazing, and some young entrepreneurs even managed to sell out their entire stock before the event ended.
To help guide the young business owners through their entrepreneurial journey, we implemented an “Adventure Tracker” system. This kept students on track by reminding them of key milestones, such as promoting their businesses to friends and showcasing their workspaces in a shared online photo album. Completing all five tasks even earned them a special prize and recognition on event day.
We were so grateful to see the MPR packed with proud families of the participating students, alongside members of the wider school community who came out to support these aspiring young entrepreneurs. Principal Margrette Wui served as the evening’s emcee, while special guest judges from Live Oaks Elementary’s PTA, Shyamala Jayaraman (EVP) and Nagi Radhakrishnan (VP Programs) had the difficult task of selecting their top 7 businesses for special awards.
As Principal Wui summed it up, “The community loved it!” We’re so proud of all of our student participants, and we look forward to hosting this celebration of the creativity, perseverance, and entrepreneurial spirit of our Tassajara Hills Elementary students next year.
By Kidpreneur Day Co-Chairs Lucy Chien & Eleen Hsu | Photos by Neil Chua