Citibank customer Carlos Marcuzzi thanks Jose Hernandez, a KidVentures participant who shadowed financial analyst Carlos Medina, center.

"Ready for the business world, students make excelling their business" The Miami Herald, April 20, 2003

Jeremy Garcia has his own business, which isn't bad for a fourth-grader.

Jeremy and several Ludlam Elementary School classmates - with the help of Kidventures, a group that teaches students business basics - run USA KidChains, which features a variety of key chains and necklaces with drawings of the U.S. and other countries' flags, peace signs, flowers and yellow ribbons.

With these other business wiz kids, Jeremy's group made $100, covering the $70 cost of supplies.

Here's the kicker - he and the others donate the profits to a charity. In the past, students have adopted a panda bear and white tiger at Metrozoo.

"What I like the most is that we get to help out and adopt a pet by putting the money back into the community," Jeremy said.

In four years, Jeremy and about 350 other students have been able to organize, develop and run their own businesses through Kidventures.

Alice Horn, the Executive Director and Founder, runs the program with a Board of Directors and an Americorps Volunteer in Coral Gables.

The program focuses on at-risk students, exposing them to business while helping them to think creatively and critically.

"The program is especially important for kids who live in neighborhoods that are economically disadvantaged because in those neighborhoods there is a very low percentage of business ownership, "Horn said. "Therefore the kids have very few entrepreneurial role models. So it is especially important for them to be exposed to the idea that they can own a business and that they can be successful at an early age.

"When we go into a new class we ask, 'What are some of the ways you can earn money?' and [in] a lot of classes at least one or two kids will say you can own a business. The poorer the neighborhood, the less kids will say that."

The program targets grades five through eight, and works in partnership with other programs for middle and high school students.

Kidventures consists of 15 90-minute sessions that detail creating and running a business, including making a presentation, managing money, developing a product and marketing it.

"Students are motivated to do better in school because they are involved in real-life business and this is hands-on active learning," Horn said. "They're taught how to present themselves as business people, how to introduce themselves, how to dress professionally and how to make a formal business presentation."

Jeremy said he loved being a businessman because he loves talking to people.

"We have to shake their hands firmly. We have to be professional," he said.

On April 11, Kidventure students from Ludlam Elementary had a sales event at the First National Bank of South Miami and students from Jose de Diego Middle held a similar bash at Citibank in downtown Miami.

During the sales events, kids learn how to close the deal - and how to handle rejection.

"Part of the lesson that they learn is that they don't always make a sale, sometimes you get rejected and that's a part of doing business," Horn said.

Felicia Prospere, one of five students from Ludlam at the sales event, said dealing with rejection is hard - but she doesn't let it stop her.

"You eventually get over it and go to the next person," Felicia said.

Ludlam fourth-grader Matthew Crawford, who has drawn most of the key chains, said one of the most difficult hurdles is getting people interested.

"It's hard trying to convince people that your product is good," Matthew said.

On the upside, Matthew and his business partners soon learned what products sold the most, so they plan to produce more of those for the next sales event.

"Sales were high for peace signs, American flags, and flowers," Matthew said. "We will report back to our class as to which products were successful."

Ludlam fifth-grade teacher Bob Lebron said his students have been changed by the program, particularly by the recent sales event.

"What I have seen is the level of their responsibility," Lebron said. "I make suggestions, but it's up to them to make decisions."

"Some of them have changed their attitude. They are seeing real-life application with this program. Most things in school are abstract instead of concrete."

Ludlam Elementary, South Miami High School (in partnership with the Junior Achievement Program), Jose de Diego Middle School and Mattie Koonce Learning and Technology Center (in partnership with the Greater Bethel AME Church), have been participants in the programs.

In the past, students have created greeting cards, key chains and mugs - products that have an artistic focus and are made to be inexpensive so that students can sell them easily and within their own neighborhoods.

Profits average from $250 to $400 and at the end of the program the students decide what organization they want to give their profits to.

Although students learn a bit of everything, they eventually end up working in the part of the business they are best at, as they would in the real world.

"The kids choose their fellow business owners [who] would make the best presentation for the business," Horn said. "There is always teamwork involved and of course they all want to go but they also want their business to be successful. So they understand sometimes it's better to have another child do the presentation because that happens to be what their really good at.

"There is something for all types of abilities. A kid might be really good at doing the math so they would do book-keeping."

Seven businesses are planned for this year, but a grant from the Ethel and W. George Kennedy Foundation will help increase that number soon, Horn said.

Grants through a partnership with Miami-Dade Community College will expand the program in Overtown and Liberty City.

In addition, Kidventures will also hold a fundraiser Friday at Pinecrest Gardens to collect donations and promote a collection of greeting cards students have designed over the years.