After learning about the fields of business, marketing and management, students in Marnie Kash's class applied that knowledge to running their own businesses, in this case Highview Top of the Tacos. Local businesses also collaborated and served as taco judges.
“I (the students) found this program incredibly fun,” Kash said.
A novel approach to teaching basic business principles, such as “By letting them make all the decisions, you empower them to use higher order thinking skills.”
“There was very little guidance from myself…We saw firsthand how this program helped each student grow in different ways and in different areas,” Kash said. Told.
Middletown school officials said the pop-up business not only provides a hands-on learning experience, but also “instills valuable life skills such as teamwork, creativity and problem-solving.”
The students learned about the fundamentals of running a business, financial literacy and how to work together. Elementary school students also took on roles such as hosts, servers, chefs and other roles found in a restaurant.
The program included free tacos for students, school staff and participating community members and was made possible through funding and support from Junior Achievement of the Middletown Area and Emery Federal Credit Union.
Jen Hayes, K-12 program coordinator for the city schools, said the program is part of the district's “Passport to Tomorrow” learning track, which includes a wide range of real-world learning for young people.
“Students in Ms. Kash's class chose the field of business, management, and marketing during the fourth quarter and leveraged the Junior Achievement curriculum to encourage students to plan, lead, and operate a pop-up business. I did,” Hayes said.
“Each day there was a mini-lesson on how to run a business, and then students were given time to plan and make decisions. Mr. Kash's students unanimously voted to run a taco restaurant. We quickly divided ourselves into categories based on our strengths and interests.”
“Each student was a member of the board, and each time an idea was proposed to the group, the board would vote on whether to move forward with the idea.”
Hayes said, “The students' eyes lit up throughout this project. They felt empowered to make decisions and were able to make small mistakes in a supportive environment.”
