We introduced the concept of teaching first and fifth graders about social entrepreneurship over seven years ago and never looked back. This spring, our first grade entrepreneurs worked collaboratively with 5th graders for another successful year of the Nifty Note Company. This interdisciplinary project-based learning unit reached across subjects, including media, design, branding, and economics. Together, the Nifty Note employees produced, printed, designed, and packaged more than 1000 note cards from start to point of sale.

The project opened opportunities for the students to show off their creativity as well as make decisions about what designs would be best to maintain quality and consistency. At the start of the project, students received an employee manual with the history, vocabulary, and job descriptions and qualifications for production. We used a host of resources to teach them about wants and needs, supply and demand, quality over quantity, and most importantly giving back. In addition, they worked together to produce the advertising including slogans, jingles, and media releases.

They also learned about current social entrepreneurs through books, articles and videos, and they were quite surprised that many of them are children just like them. Each year the first graders make a charitable donation with a portion of the profit from the sale of the note cards to the Ronald McDonald House Charities near the school. The same is true at the fifth grade level; they learn about microfinancing, and how one small loan can make a huge difference in someone’s life. To date, the 5th graders have loaned over $12,000 through Kiva.org to more than 110 individuals in over 35 countries around the world.

When children manufacture, market, and sell a product to real customers as a class business for a social cause, the experience is priceless!