Inspired by entrepreneurship in the After School Maker Studio, three young learners created their own camp to share with their peers.
It all started with a note:
“We would like to schedule a meeting.”
Emery, Kennedy, and Eisley plan a camp designed for 7- to 11-year-olds in the Maker Studio.
Actually, it all started with a place designed to spark imagination, the Maker Studio at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota.
The Maker Studio is a place where children come to explore, play, and follow their interests. It’s filled with school-age children after school and all summer long with specialized camps and classes.
Meet the CEOs
Among the after-school regulars are the three individuals who wrote the note. They call themselves “the CEOs” and had spent the previous weeks and months running a business in the Maker Studio.
They had an office space where they interviewed staff, conducted performance reviews, processed payroll (and taxes), and now they wanted to do more.
Attached to their note was a memo. Here’s what it said:
Dear Lauren:
We were wondering if we could run an entraprenuer camp somtime. We would run it all. We would come up with games, activities, crafts, and more! We could find a date in the summer if we needed. We would also like to make a few presentations.
Best regards, Eisley Cloud, secretary, Emery Cloud, job finder, and Kennedy Hanson, assistant CEO.
Idea Turns Into Reality
Knowing these 3 capable 9- and 10-year-olds were serious about their request, Education Manager Lauren Dietz did what the Learning Framework of the Museum empowers her to do daily: She offered resources, space, and an environment designed to make their request a reality.
The CEOs took part in strategy sessions with Lauren and Director of Education and Guest Experience Kati Hanson, and their vision transformed into a concrete camp proposal that they presented with remarkable detail and thoughtfulness.
The CEOs planned and executed every part of the camp, from the snacks to the variety of activities.
They invited a guest speaker John Meyer who offered real-world examples of entrepreneurship in action.
Camp Schedule Includes Guest Speaker and Activities
Eisley, Emery, and Kennedy planned every aspect of the camp, from designing the poster and crafting the agenda, to organizing activities, selecting snacks, recruiting camp attendees, and inviting a guest speaker, John Meyer, an entrepreneurship coach and CEO who spent his elementary school years in the same building the Museum now inhabits.
“We started with an idea, and it just grew. We didn’t know it would grow this big. And now we get to run our own camp. I can’t believe it.” – Emery
The camp filled to capacity with 12 kids ages 7-11 who got a chance to learn the basics of becoming a CEO – from their peers and from someone who had done it himself.
Rather than charging a camp registration fee, the CEOs asked attendees to consider supporting the Museum’s Access Initiative to offer the Children’s Museum experience to more families.
“This is a dream come true. I never thought this would be possible.” – Eisley
CEO Entrepreneurship Camp not only provided valuable entrepreneurial knowledge, but it also showcased the importance of empowering young minds to take initiative and pursue their ideas.
It stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when our youth are empowered and provided with opportunities to lead and create.
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