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Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School fifth graders proved to be successful entrepreneurs at their Mini City fundraiser.

Selling a range of food, goods, and games, the students made enough money to complete their fundraising goal for their overnight trip to San Francisco in the spring. They even had enough left over to donate to their Project of Passion: the Peterson Family Foundation, which supports music therapy and childhood leukemia research.

Mini City gave students a taste of what it’s like to create a business. They came up with a product, name, and price, and even marketed their business with posters. During the process, they also got to see how a real small business is run, getting a behind-the-scenes tour of Lula’s Chocolates in Monterey.

Students sold bracelets, beauty products, greeting cards, crafts, baked treats, and more. One group of students sold their goods out of a tabletop storefront made from cardboard. There were a few games, too, including a prize wheel where unlucky spins could result in the customer dancing for 10 seconds or doing six pushups.

The event not only succeeded in raising funds, but in giving students invaluable hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and creativity.