It’s a Saturday, but the lunchroom at Eagle River Elementary School is bustling with students. Instead of food, the tables are filled with homemade wares — jewelry, birdhouses, crocheted animals, paintings and more. The creations come from local youth hoping to turn their passions into profit when the Young Entrepreneur Market (YEM) returns next month.
Dubbed “mock market” day, the students gathered at the school to practice for the upcoming season, which begins Friday, June 12, at The Square in downtown Eagle River. The session was the final of three trainings that began in March.
Now in its third year and run by the Eagle River Revitalization Program (ERRP), YEM guides youth ages 10 to 17 through building and running a small business, from brainstorming ideas and sourcing materials to pricing products, marketing and booth design.
About 30 students from local schools and homeschool programs are participating this year, including some who have been involved since YEM launched.
“At the mock market, mentors are going around with a checklist to make sure the students are ready,” said Miranda Wendler, program lead. “We’re checking their pricing, displays and whether they can talk to customers about their products. Today we’re also letting people buy with real money instead of fake money because everybody wants to support the kids. It’s really fun.”
Top honors
Adding to the excitement, representatives from Eagle River Treehouses stopped by the school to select their top three student businesses, awarding cash prizes to the winners.
“Eagle River Treehouses reached out to us because they were inspired by the revitalization efforts happening in Eagle River,” said Danielle Mazur, ERRP board president. “They were especially inspired by the youth entrepreneur program, and when they made the donation, they asked that it be earmarked specifically for YEM. We’re honored they chose revitalization, and I think it speaks volumes about the importance of inspiring young entrepreneurs today.”
After visiting each booth and taking notes, Lori Schulz and her son, Tristan, of Eagle River Treehouses carefully discussed the businesses before selecting the winners — siblings Raelee Engels of Crochet Cuties, first place ($300); Sada Engels of Tiny Treasures, second place ($200); and Destin Engels of Burning Designs, third place ($100).
Destin, whose business features laser-engraved boards, even made a custom wood plaque thanking Eagle River Treehouses for its generosity.
Big dreams
First-place winner Raelee, 14, runs Crochet Cuties, making cuddle-worthy animals crocheted by hand — a skill she taught herself.
“I’ve been crocheting for two years,” Raelee said. “I found a little kit in my closet that I got for my birthday years ago that I didn’t even know I had. I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to try this out.’”
Though the pattern was “way too advanced,” she said she turned to YouTube tutorials and quickly fell in love with crocheting.
Raelee has participated in YEM for the past three years. She started with a baking business before switching to crochet, which she said was less time-sensitive and more forgiving. She added that YEM has given her the freedom to learn entrepreneurship through trial and error at a young age.
“I’ll be turning 15 in July,” Raelee said. “This is my first year of high school, and it’s been very, very busy, but I do virtual school, so I’ll be sitting there crocheting while I’m in class. My teachers will ask, ‘What are you working on today?’ I’ve actually gotten a couple customer orders from teachers before.”
She said she hopes to invest her earnings into formally establishing her business with an LLC and eventually pursuing entrepreneurship full-time after high school.
Another participant, Harper Jernigan, 13, already has her jewelry featured in local stores such as The Plaid Bear in St. Germain.
“People come up here for the woods, the cabins and the lakes,” she said. “So I make bracelets inspired by the Northwoods lifestyle, including lake and cabin themes.”
Eventually, she said she hopes to own her own store in downtown Eagle River.
“Our community really rallies behind these students,” Mazur said. “Last year, a lot of business owners purchased from our youth entrepreneurs. We saw pizza boards brought into pubs and bracelets sold in shops and salons. That’s what’s really encouraging — the community itself gets behind these kids.”
Kinsie Brandner, 12, an Eagle River Elementary School student who creates crafts using UV resin, said she joined YEM as a way to share her love of crafting while earning some spending money.
“I love crafting, and I wanted to share that with other people,” she said. “And it’s nice to have a little bit of cash when you’re not old enough to get a big job yet.”
Jaina Rainer, 13, said she joined the program because of her passion for baking and the opportunity to start her own business. She especially appreciates the real-world feedback she receives through YEM.
“I really like learning how to run my own business and trying new things,” she said. “I also like hearing what other people think and getting advice from mentors and customers at the market. Some people will say, ‘You should try this,’ or ‘You should do that,’ and it really helps. I feel like I could definitely run my own bakery one day.”
More than a market
Mazur said ERRP plans to continue growing the program because of the confidence and collaboration it builds among students.
“We’re super committed to this program because it inspires young people to take their creativity and turn it into something real,” she said. “It gives them something they can continue developing as they grow into adulthood. It also teaches them how to collaborate, support each other and improve their products.”
The Young Entrepreneur Market opens Friday, June 12, at The Square, 229 E. Wall St., Eagle River. Additional markets are scheduled for July 3, Aug. 7, Sept. 4 and Oct. 2. All markets run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays at The Square. For more information, visit yemeagleriver.com.
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