I always enjoy watching the expression on the children’s faces when a concept I’m teaching suddenly becomes clear and understood. Both the Grade 7 learner’s and I got to experience this at our recent Valentines Market.

In EMS we are learning entrepreneurial skills and terminology. What better way to cement the concepts around customer surveys, marketing, raw materials, loans, expenses, sales and profits, than to hold a market.

The grade 7’s conducted surveys among their peers to determine what products would sell, they manufactured their products, made posters and videos to promote them and, on Valentine’s Day, they put their theories to the test and sold their products to the rest of the school.

One highlight for me was when we were shopping for their ingredients. They had worked out the cost, sent promissory notes to the office and received the loan amount. Then, at the till, the trepidation or, in some cases, panic set in … “Do we have sufficient money?” The absolute relief and glee on their faces when they realised that, yes we do. Some had been very accurate and others not so, but all erred on the side of having more than enough.

Such fun and perhaps we have some budding entrepreneurs at school!