Lemonade Day: Alaska children learn to manage money

WASILLA — This Saturday is Alaska’s designated Lemonade Day, a national program that offers children education and opportunities to become financially literate by propping up their very own lemonade stand. Children receive instruction and information packets to learn basic finance and entrepreneurial savvy, harkening to the classic image of a kid selling lemonade in a wooden stand, making their first dollar. They will get child-sized portions of knowledge on financial literacy, economics, entrepreneurship, economics, and so on.

Simone Jaggers from the UAA Center of Economic Development has spearheaded Alaska’s branch of Lemonade Day. She said they had a successful turnout in Anchorage and Eagle River but haven’t, as yet, spread very far in the Valley.

“Unfortunately… it really didn’t grab on. We’re really trying to involve the Valley. We’re hopeful for next year with getting more action in Wasilla. I think we’re going to try partner with the Small Business Development Center who’s within our BEI network; Cause we’re with the university’s Center of Economic Development and we’re both under the university’s enterprise institute,” Jaggers said.

Jaggers mused over the success of her workshop at the Palmer Library.

“Palmer and Eagle River really came out, especially Palmer,” she said. “We had a lot of kids come and that was really cool.”

She noted how effective libraries have been in spreading the Lemonade Day curriculum and resources.

“What we found was me being able to do a workshop at a library was a great way to connect with communities, because libraries are already in the community and a really great place,” she said. “Parents are already going to the library to connect with after school learning. So I just thought that was a natural partner. So the Anchorage and beyond — public libraries, state public libraries have been a great partner to us and helped us reach so many kids this summer, so we’re really excited about that.”

Since 2007, founder Michael Holthouse has used the Lemonade Day to build children up with practical life skills and mentorships, to infuse that American Dream of starting a business from scratch.

“Lemonade Day is a strategic lesson-based program that walks youth from a dream to a business plan, while teaching them the same principles required to start any big company. Inspiring kids to work hard and make a profit, they are also taught to spend some, save some and share some by giving back to their community,” it reads on the Lemonade Day website

According to the 2017 map, a stand called “The Squeeze” will be at the Denali Harley Davidson in Wasilla, serving not just lemonade but also pink lemonade, cupcakes, cotton candy, popcorn, and jello with the goal to “pay for our vacation Bible camp.”

“Aw, that’s a cute name,” Jaggers said.

In the end, children should have the necessary tools to spark up their own business and make their very own lemonade stand. Even with just one stand on the map in the Valley this year, some will not be on the map as it is voluntarily reported.

“Look out for kids selling because they do pop up,” Jaggers concluded.