Entrepreneurship and financial education were the main themes during the month of August at the Adventist School of Jacobina, in northern Bahia. Therefore, on August 30, students from the institution participated in the second edition of the project “Master Chef: Junior Entrepreneurs.” The initiative aims to encourage students to apply the knowledge about entrepreneurship acquired in the classroom.
Daniela Oliveira explained how the subject was shared among the students and mentioned the several themes involved in entrepreneurship. "We worked in class on issues such as speaking, target audience, aesthetics, and reinforced the importance of financial education and spending control," said the teacher. She also highlighted the importance of teaching about finances during childhood. "In my generation, education was only aimed at [conventional] paid job[s]. We grew up without having the opportunity to see that there were other alternatives to work."
Putting this Knowledge into Practice
To put this knowledge into practice, the students promoted, within the school premises, a cooking fair organized with the support of parents and teachers. They actively participated in every phase of the fair, from shopping to sales. According to student Enzo Noberto, the experience was unforgettable. "My class made milkshakes to refresh everyone. We chose the fruits and made them on the spot," he shared. He also reinforced what he learned about entrepreneurship and financial education. "Saving is good because it makes sure I have money to buy my things."
In addition, some parents took the opportunity to help their children with the sales and witness their development. "I came to see the sales process up close, and I also helped the teacher, showing the students the best customer service techniques," said Claudiana Souza, mother of two students who participated in the fair. "My children have been studying at this school for six years, and as a mother, I think this project is very important because it encourages children to value work and save money from an early age."
Beyond Education
The project did not stop there. The activity promoted by the school raised more than R$4,000 (approx. US$760), an amount that will be converted into food and personal hygiene products. The acquired items will be donated to the Casa de Convivência da Criança Construindo o Amanhã (“Building Tomorrow Children's Home”), located in the city of Jacobina, Bahia.
For more than 20 years, this benefited institution has sheltered vulnerable and abandoned children and teenagers. Thus, the action reinforced the commitment to go far beyond the classroom and stimulate in students a sense of social responsibility and compassion for others. Projects like this put into practice biblical teachings like solidarity, which are part of the Adventist education curriculum.
