Fifth graders at Centre Avenue and Rhame Avenue Schools became business owners for a day during East Rockaway’s annual Entrepreneur Days at both schools. Rhame Avenue students welcomed shoppers to the school gym on June 2, while Centre Avenue students set up an outdoor marketplace on the blacktop on June 10. 

The event marked the culmination of a weeks-long project rooted in the fifth grade social studies curriculum on business and economics. Each student developed an original product idea and carried it from concept to completion, building a business plan along the way. The interdisciplinary project challenged students to apply skills in marketing, design and financial literacy.

In the lead-up to the big day, students designed logos, wrote slogans and jingles, printed business cards and built websites to promote their products. The young entrepreneurs greeted parents, staff, and community members at their booths, where shoppers could browse and make purchases via QR codes linking to each student's digital storefront.

Beyond the sales, the days gave students a chance to practice communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving in a real-world setting. Entrepreneur Day remains a beloved tradition in East Rockaway, turning classroom lessons into hands-on experience and giving the district's youngest innovators a taste of what it takes to run a business.