What's Happening?
Lawton Public Schools, specifically Hugh Bish Elementary, has introduced a snack cart project where students actively participate in running a mobile snack business. Teacher Michelle Givens oversees this initiative, which involves students like fourth-grader
Kydin Howie, who drives the cart, and fifth-grader Kywaun Leaston, who manages the money and customer interactions. The cart offers various treats, including Skittles, Airheads, cookies, and chips, with most items priced at $1. This project aims to provide students with practical experience in sales, money management, and teamwork. Givens noted a significant improvement in Leaston's interest in mathematics since he began working with the snack cart, highlighting the project's educational impact beyond just business skills. The program also includes a fundraising component where students work with Texas Roadhouse to sell pre-ordered peanuts, ensuring broader student participation.
Why It's Important?
This snack cart project is important because it offers elementary school students a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity that bridges academic concepts with real-world applications. By engaging in sales, handling money, and working as a team, students develop essential life skills such as financial literacy, customer service, and collaboration. The project's success in sparking a student's interest in mathematics, as observed with Kywaun Leaston, demonstrates its potential to make learning more engaging and relevant. Furthermore, the inclusion of a fundraising activity with a local business like Texas Roadhouse teaches students about community involvement and broader business operations, preparing them for future civic and professional roles. This initiative could serve as a model for other schools looking to implement practical, skill-building programs that foster both academic and personal growth.
What's Next?
Teacher Michelle Givens anticipates continuing the snack cart project throughout the entire school year, indicating its ongoing role in student development at Hugh Bish Elementary. The project's success in engaging students and teaching practical skills suggests it may be sustained and potentially expanded within the school or even replicated in other schools within the Lawton Public Schools district. The ongoing collaboration with Texas Roadhouse for peanut sales also points to continued community partnerships that benefit student learning. Future steps could involve evaluating the project's long-term impact on student academic performance and skill development, as well as exploring additional business ventures or community engagement opportunities to further enhance the students' educational experience. The project's focus on teamwork and job-related issues will continue to prepare students for future responsibilities.
Beyond the Headlines
Beyond the immediate benefits of teaching business and math skills, the snack cart project at Hugh Bish Elementary delves into deeper educational and social implications. It fosters a sense of responsibility and independence among young students, allowing them to make decisions and manage resources in a supervised environment. The project also promotes social-emotional learning by encouraging teamwork, communication, and problem-solving in real-time scenarios, such as helping customers balance their purchases with available cash. The observation that a student's interest in math significantly increased due to practical application highlights the potential for hands-on learning to transform educational engagement, particularly for students who may struggle with traditional classroom methods. This initiative underscores the value of integrating practical, community-oriented projects into the curriculum to create well-rounded, engaged citizens.
