Get ready to pucker up for Lemonade Day, an annual event bringing summer refreshment and youth business education to communities.
On June 14, communities including Drayton Valley and Alberta Beach will see their streets lined with students anywhere from Kindergarten to graduation age selling homemade lemonade.
The event is the culmination of months of effort through the Yellowhead East chapter of Community Futures Northern Alberta.
“We walk them through every step of the process from coming up with a business idea to planning, budgeting and figuring out what supplies they’ll need. they even get to learn how to build a real business plan,” explained Lillian Wisser, a project coordinator for Community Futures.
Through the hands-on experience, Wisser said kids learn skills such as responsibility, goal setting and money management, all while channeling their creativity too.
Students register in March and first attend the Lemonade University, which teaches participants how to build a business plan and secure the other elements needed for the project. Students must secure a lease agreement, business license and food and safety certificate to get their stand up.
Wisser explained, a special business license is typically coordinated with the participating communities, which the children then need to secure from the town.
Plus, as judges come around, participants will need to answer questions about their recipe and how they accomplished different aspects of the project.
In the Yellowhead region, prizes will be awarded for the best tasting lemonade, best display and Entrepreneur of the Year. Northern Alberta Regional prizes and a national prize will be awarded as well.
Officials say Lemonade Day kids get to keep the profits they make, but are encouraged to spend some, save some and share some.
Over 1,300 kids are participating across Northern Alberta, with about 70 in the Yellowhead East Region completing their Lemonade University training.
A map of all Lemonade Day stand locations is available here.
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