One student organization at Northwest Arkansas Community College spent time working with Springdale 5th graders on their business skills all leading up to the Korporate Kidz Expo.
From bird feeders to doggie bowls their shops were open for business. And the 5th grade students that run them are not only trying to make a profit, but win a competition. They are part of the NWACC Sife team's Korporate Kidz Expo. And in the end it was the group "Designer Trays" from Lee Elementary that came out on top.
"We took an old picture frame we painted it and sanded it,” says Designer Trays team member Julia Smith. “And we put some old cabinet handles on it and then we took old paper scrapbooking paper fabric we put it inside and if you wanted to you could take it and it’s just like a picture frame and you could put family picture in it. And change out the stuff."
The frame can also be flipped and used as a tray. It's all made of recycled items. The group says they worked hard on their product, and felt confident they could win.
"We thought we had a good chance,” Smith says. “Cause we sold out pretty quickly and the judges were really impressed by what we told them, and we told them."
Even though Designer Trays took home first place, another group, "Sporty Pork," from Harp Elementary with they're product of the same name, was the first to sell out.
"First we had a Sporty Pork that was all sporty and was just a decoration,” says Sporty Pork team member Brooke Pulliam. “And then we went a whole different direction with it and we created something that could remind you to recycle. So now it's an icon and it’s not just a decoration it's an icon."
Sporty Pork took home second place, and every piece of it is recycled. The body is made out of a can a recycled can, the eyes of recycled pencil erasers, and the legs are old egg cartons. The SIFE team worked everyone here to teach them how to create a product and run a business. And it’s an experience these students say they'll take with them.
"It's fun and nice because you get to learn the true meaning of being an entrepreneur and how hard or difficult it can be," Pulliam says.
"I learned most of this that if you work together you can get a lot accomplished."
NWACC's SIFE team stands for Student in Free Enterprise. The group works to merge business leadership and community service.