Kalispell Chamber Launches Youth Entrepreneurship Program for Kalispell This Summer

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with its young professional development group, Flathead Area Young Professionals, and title sponsor Valley Bank of Kalispell, is bringing Lemonade Day, a nationally acclaimed youth entrepreneurship program, to Kalispell this summer. Lemonade Day Kalispell is a free learning opportunity for youth to learn about the foundations of owning a business by designing and running a lemonade stand. The experiential program teaches life skills such as business operations, responsibility, financial literacy, goal setting and teamwork with the end goal of starting, owning and operating a business.

Registration for this year’s program will open on July 1, giving participants eight weeks to develop their business before Kalispell’s official Lemonade Day on August 22.

Lemonade Day Kalispell uses a digital learning platform, Lemonopolis, to walk youth through a series of short, interactive lessons ranging from developing spending goals, site selection for a stand, advertising, finding an investor, planning and budgeting, and reflecting on results. Participants will work with an adult mentor and an investor to work through the lessons and fund their stand.

“With the impacts of COVID-19 on in-person learning this year we are excited to be able to offer the Lemonade Day program to our area youth to explore not only what it means to be an entrepreneur, but to see how STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) principles reach far beyond their classrooms and into the real world,” said Kate Lufkin, Director of Education and Workforce Development for the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce.

In tandem with teaching the various aspects of entrepreneurship, Lemonade Day Kalispell incorporates financial literacy and social responsibility, encouraging participants to set spending goals, open or contribute to a savings account, and share some of the earnings from their lemonade stand with a nonprofit of their choice.

“The spend some, save some, share some foundations of Lemonade Day do a great job of demonstrating the community impacts small businesses can have,” said Lufkin. “Small businesses make up over 98% of businesses in Montana, and it’s our friends, family, and neighbors who not only own these businesses but are the main contributors to each other’s successes. By showing kids they can be business owners themselves, we can showcase how our community thrives and how we all have an impact on one another.”

To learn more about Lemonade Day Kalispell, visit http://www.lemonadeday.org/kalispell or follow Lemonade Day Kalispell on Facebook and Instagram for registration and program information.

About the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau

Founded 1904, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau is the leading voice in strengthening our community and the business climate, with the goal of making Kalispell and the Flathead Valley an ideal location to live and work. The Chamber consists of 725 businesses and organizations, which employ 60% of the workforce in Flathead County, Montana.

About Lemonade Day

Since2007,the Lemonade Day program has been teaching leadership and business skills by encouraging children to launch a lemonade business in their community. The organization inspires young people with a desire to learn business skills and financial literacy to set up their lemonade stand where they can apply customer service skills, collaborate with business owners and investors and experience real-world business owner challenges. Lemonade Day has expanded to over 84 licensed markets in the United States Canada, Bermuda and South Africa. More than one million children and thousands of adult mentors have participated in Lemonade Day since inception.

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Kate Lufkin, Director of Education and Workforce

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Convention & Visitor Bureau

15 Depot Park | Kalispell, MT 59901

(P) 406-758-2801