Chris Hadfield PS Marketplace organizing staff team
Grade 8 students at Chris Hadfield Public School showed off their marketing, customer service, product design, and sales skills at the annual Marketplace earlier this spring.
"Marketplace is the culminating activity of a month's worth of work where students hone in on an authentic learning experience. Students find a need and create a product to address that need or service," says Mr. Hosier, a Grade 8 Teacher and developer of Marketplace.
The process is similar to Dragons' Den as seen on television. Marketplace is a Grade 8 project but is a whole school endeavour that Mr. Hosier calls "authentic learning" with students having to be ready as it is a hard deadline.
Mr. Hosier started this learning experience as a Teacher at Sunset Heights PS with his teaching partner. At that time, it was just food, but not a bake sale. The focus was on the media aspect of how to market something and finding a target market and designing products to serve it.
Lauren and Isla, Grade 8 students participating in Marketplace as sellers for the first time, had a blast.
"It is a way to learn about the real world and how to deal with money and customers," says Isla. "It is also a way for students to raise money to help go to the grad trip."
Lauren really appreciated the experience not only for her, but younger students as well. "It also helps students in other grades because they can come and work on communication when they are buying," says Lauren.
Lauren and Isla marketed and sold three different types of bracelets - string, beaded, and beaded with letters. "We have sport themes to choose from for each type of bracelet and a lot more," says Lauren. Both girls agree that their target market was wide because a number of people love sports.
Isla and Lauren also capitalized on news from the Superbowl power couple of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift by designing a bracelet specific to this duo because other students and staff may be interested in purchasing.
Isla says the process and experience stretched their creative juices. "Students had to create a product pitch and presentation that explains what the product is and how they think it would be beneficial to the school or students. We had to think about a target market, the number of products we need to make or design, pricing, guesstimate revenue and profit, and design a table for display," says Isla.
Chris Hadfield PS Marketplace 2024 Photos
Luke and Gregory, also in Grade 8, participated this year from the sellers' side of the table after being customers for many years.
The two teamed up to sell shaving cream stress balls in all different colours.
"Since we were once the customers, we thought we might take what we wanted when we were younger and use that experience to sell what younger kids would want," says Luke.
"Most of our customers have been Grade 3s so far and a couple Grade 6s," says Greg. "We have seen more boys than girls buying." That's different from what the pair thought they would see when they planned the project, assuming they would be selling to Grades 4, 5, and 6 students.
Students advertised their products and services using posters throughout the school as well as radio ads aired over the announcements.
This experience provides students with a lengthy skill set when looking for their first job. The process helps students to get creative and become confident. It gives them an avenue to learn what you don't sometimes see in classroom work, explains Mr. Hosier.
Mr. Hosier encourages other teachers and schools to look into this initiative for their school. "This can be run at any school. It doesn't have to be big and elaborate. Start small and hammer home the finer points because a lot of things can be made with school supplies that we already have: glue, popsicle sticks, things like that to mass produce for kids something they will want to buy."
The efforts of Isla, Lauren, Luke, Gregory and their classmates helped to raise $9,500 toward their school graduation trips.
