Fifth-graders at Sinsheimer Elementary School in San Luis Obispo have been honing their business skills through a partnership with a local company. As part of the Build-A-Business Club, they collaborated with Junk Girls, a Downtown SLO business, to create products to sell and raise money for a community project. Their hard work paid off as they were able to donate $1,500 to ECOSLO, the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo.
On Arbor Day, the students and ECOSLO came together to plant three trees at Sinsheimer Park. This experience was particularly meaningful for the students as they saw firsthand the impact of their efforts. Genevieve Palazzo, a fifth-grader, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work with Junk Girls and ECOSLO, saying it was heartwarming to see their dedication to helping the environment and supporting the students’ entrepreneurial aspirations.
Sophia Bastidas, another fifth-grader, echoed Genevieve’s sentiments, highlighting the incredible collaboration between Junk Girls and Ecoslo and the positive impact their tree planting project will have on the community. According to Grant Helete, program coordinator for ECOSLO’s Urban Tree Planning “Keys for Trees” program, partnering with schools and organizations for projects like this is part of their goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2035. This experience has not only taught the students valuable business skills but also instilled in them a sense of environmental stewardship and community responsibility.
