For the City Times

Mrs. Tuskowski’s third grade class at Washington Elementary School has been preparing for Valentine’s Day since early January.

Their hard work culminated with the ‘Cupid’s Corner’ store, where fellow schoolmates could purchase Valentine treats for their friends and family. The Cupid’s Corner project brought financial literacy skills and concepts — embedded in their social studies curriculum — to life by having the class plan product distribution strategies beginning with what product they wanted to sell, securing start-up funds and marketing their product.

Students had to learn various business terms and themes for the project. (Contributed)

They began by securing a loan of $400 from the Washington Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization. Students held market research focus groups, narrowing down their potential offerings to six selections they believed would sell.

After calling local retailers to get the best prices, funds secured from the PTO loan were used to purchase supplies. Valentine treats were assembled and students began marketing their final products, leading up to Cupid’s Corner.

“I am so proud of the hard work and enthusiasm the students have shown throughout the project,” said Tuskowski. “Seeing them connect their projects to what they are learning about economics has been a highlight of the unit.”

Proceeds from Cupid’s Corner are donated to Books from the Heart to fund the purchase of over 110 books for kindergarten classrooms at Washington and McDill Elementary Schools.