Gravette students present entrepreneurial projects; one student advances to state showcase

The Gravette School District meeting opened with a presentation from seventh‑grade students who participated in a classroom entrepreneurship unit and marketplace.

Teacher Miss Gibson introduced students who researched, designed and sold handmade products at a local venue, Hiwassee Mercantile, and set up booths to market their goods. One student, Felix, described producing sugar scrubs using three ingredients (sugar, almond oil and essential oils), which he estimated cost about $3.50 apiece to make and were sold for about $6; he said the students sold roughly 30 of 32 units and 'almost double[d] our profit back.'

Student Ellie described making car fresheners from aroma beads and dye, reported total sales near $189 and a profit after expenses of about $120. Ellie also said she placed in the top 25 business plans in the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase (YES), organized by Economics Arkansas, and will represent the district at a Little Rock event with a product she described as a customizable Chromebook case called a 'charm book.'

Board members praised the students’ presentation, asked questions about production and next steps, and encouraged continued entrepreneurship education. No board action was required on the presentation.