Pickett Elementary students ‘brewing big business’ opportunities

For about five months, sixth grade students at Pickett Elementary have been learning what it takes to run a business. 

"In my previous career, I retired from Kansas. I was a director of career service learning, and in that spot, we put kids in job shadow opportunities for them to explore their career interests." said Julie Dillon, a sixth grade math and science teacher at Pickett. "Upon interviewing those employers, the things that they said would be most important for our kids to be successful were the soft skills like communication, problem solving, leadership, handling adversity."

When Dillon came to Pickett Elementary, she came to Pickett Elementary as the math and science teacher, she thought it would be a great opportunity for the kids to come up with their own business.

"I like coffee, and so I thought we'll just do a coffee shop," said Dillon. "Coffee shops don't take as much space."

"I've learned like multiple...like a lot of stuff about making coffee," said Steven, a sixth grader and CEO of the company. "Surprisingly, I didn't know anything about making coffee before I got this role, but now I know a lot."

Dillon said, with help of her son, who is a controller and plant manager at Huhtamki, the sixth grade class was able come up with items to get their coffee shop started. 

Students researched the cost of items and created budget that would work for their business.

"We first applied for a grant. We didn't receive it, so our next step was to secure a loan," said Dillon. "Our principal helped us with this."

From there, students were able to apply for positions at the coffee shop.

"It's teaching me prior experience," said Remington, an accountant at the coffee shop. "So, like, if I get a job at, like, a fast food restaurant, I know how to, like, talk to people and know how to, like, count their change."

Not only have the kids learned different skill sets from creating their business, the name of their business also holds a lot of meaning.

"We have Mo and Finn, which are two therapy dogs in the classroom," said Dillon. "So they voted for 'Mo and Finn's Coffee'."

The kids started serving an array of coffee's, teas and hot chocolate in October of last year and since then, they have sold over 250 cups of coffee.

The students were also able to pay off their $400 loan within a few months of the coffee shop opening, with the help of donations and support from other local businesses. 

Not only did Huhtamaki help with the shop's paper products, but Sealed Air Cryovac Inc. also donated monetarily. 

The entire sixth grade class agreed, they're learning skills to help them with their future. 

"It also like, helps me, like, helped shape me as a person," said Steven. "It gives me a better business experience and I also get to help people."

Both Dillon and another sixth grade Social Studies and English teacher, Patricia Fellers, said they're proud of the work their students have done by running 'Mo and Finn's Coffee Shop'.

"Those kids should be proud, because this is something they started and they did a wonderful job," said Fellers. "We're proud of them all."

Now that the weather is warmer, students are looking for ways to switch up their menu from warm drinks to some other options. 

When asked what will happen with the coffee shop when the current sixth grade class moves on, Dillon said the next sixth grade class will have to continue the process of securing a loan and buying their own business.