The 11 students at the Peak Learning micro-school had an idea — to run a lemonade stand.
School founder and lead teacher Maddie Baird asked what they would do with the money they raised.
Their first response, not surprisingly, was to buy toys. Then one student suggested they donate their proceeds to research for MPS 1, a rare disease his four-year-old sister has. His classmates liked that idea, so the children went to work.
“They enjoyed planning the whole thing,” Baird said. “They helped with marketing and getting the word out.”
In addition, the students determined what they would sell, set prices for the items and made posters. On the day of the stand, they helped by taking money and giving change to their customers, which provided extra math practice.
Even with the threat of rain, the school decided to move forward with the fundraiser since it was their only available day before the school year ends on Thursday, May 22. Fortunately, though, the rain held off and about 50 people stopped by during the two-hour timeframe.
When the money was counted, the event had cleared $542 for a good cause.
Baird later described the fundraiser as “a beautiful representation of what Peak Learning is all about —allowing children to be children, giving them the space to dream big ideas, helping them achieve those dreams, and partnering closely with their parents to make it all happen.”
Peak Learning is a homeschool hybrid for children in pre-k to second grade. For more information, contact Baird at (937) 935-6538.
