Budding Entrepreneurs: How San Luis Obispo Fifth-Graders Learned the Art of Business and Gave Back Through Tree Planting.

Fifth-grade students at Sinsheimer Elementary School in San Luis Obispo have been honing their business skills through a partnership with a local company, Junk Girls. As part of the Build-A-Business Club, the students worked together to create products to sell and raise money for a community project. Their efforts 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 joined forces once again to plant three trees at Sinsheimer Park. This experience was particularly meaningful for the students as they were able to see firsthand the impact of their hard work and fundraising efforts. Genevieve Palazzo, a fifth-grader, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work with Junk Girls and Ecoslo, saying that 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 at Ecoslo’s Urban Tree Planning “Keys for Trees” program, partnering with schools and organizations for projects like this is an important 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.