Mountainside 5th Graders Raise Money for Local Families Through Winter Marketplace

Mountainside Elementary’s 5th Grade Winter Marketplace blended education, creativity, and community spirit into a single impactful event. On December 13th, fifth-grade students showcased their entrepreneurial talents by organizing a craft marketplace, where younger students shopped for homemade gifts while helping support a meaningful cause.

The 5th graders' entrepreneurial journey started in October when they took a field trip to Manitou Springs to interview small business owners and learn the ins and outs of running a business. Armed with inspiration, the students explored product ideas online and in their maker space art activities, creating unique items to sell. They also learned how to calculate costs, designed shop signage, and filmed commercials to advertise their products.

When the big day arrived, students from grades K-4 were invited to shop for gifts with the assistance of parent volunteers. The event was filled with holiday cheer and excitement as the young shoppers found special items for their loved ones such as snowglobes, ornaments, and origami. 

The entrepreneurs raised over $1,200, all of which was donated to Mountain Post Santa’s Workshop, a nonprofit organization supporting Fort Carson Army families. This charity provides holiday gifts to children of active-duty service members, ensuring joy and smiles for families in need.

The president of Mountain Post Santa’s Workshop, Ann Bybee, visited the students to express her gratitude and inspire the students with stories about the organization’s impact.

"I feel really happy doing it because I love helping people out. It's such a nice thing to do," said 5th Grader Rylan. 

Mountainside’s 5th Grade Winter Marketplace not only highlighted the importance of giving back but also provided an invaluable lesson in entrepreneurship and community engagement for the students.

"I learned how business works and how much hard work it takes to sell stuff," said 5th Grader Penelope. "When I was little I thought it would be so easy, but now when I think about it, it's much more complicated than you'd think...but it was really fun and I liked doing it." 

"It was exciting because we got to learn new stuff about being an entrepreneur and we got to find out what that's like and it was fun that we got to sell our own products that we made," said 5th grader Casey.

It even helped some students gain confidence. 

"I was really nervous, but when I got here and started setting up my stuff I got really confident and happy," said Rylan. "It was super fun while doing it and now it makes me for next year's Christmas want to start a snowglobe company."

Thanks to the support of parents, staff, and the community, this event brought holiday magic to many while empowering the next generation of young leaders.

Special thanks go to the Mountainside PTO for providing gift envelopes, as well as to staff members Mr. Kitchell, Ms. Welch, and Ms. Rolewicz, who contributed handmade crafts to support the event.