Today is the last day to order a Badgerizza pizza kit made by Badger Rock Middle School students, the culmination of a semester-long effort by some entrepreneurial young people.
Eighth-grade students have been hard at work this semester learning how to start their own businesses through an 8-week entrepreneurial program, a collaboration of CEOs of Tomorrow and Rooted at Badger Rock and Badger Rock Middle School
Dayton Yu and Lisa Skar are Youth Empowerment Coaches at CEOs of Tomorrow who worked closely with students as they created business models and worked in the kitchen and garden, while they grew the ingredients and prepared their Badgerizzas pizza kits.
“What’s cool is we did get to help out with the kitchen,” said Yu. “We went there once a week for eight weeks. We would teach the first half of the program and it would be the business concepts. Then the second half would be in the kitchen and garden, the prep portion of that actual food. And we all got to have a hand in that and kind of see that process, but it was really great from start to finish.
“We got to see the kids develop their entrepreneurial skills kind of throughout the weeks,” Yu added. “We also got to see them in action grinding or chopping onions and making the tomato sauce. It’s really, really interesting to kind of see it come together week by week.”
A student entrepreneur, Miguel Orosco said that he really liked learning how to do the Business Model Canvas and that he thinks that it is a big part of organizing what is important in your business. The students are selling their Badgerizza pizza kits for $20.99, which includes ingredients to make four personal pizzas, a pizza cutter, and a Badgerizzas pizza recipe.
“These kids are eighth-graders who essentially got to start and manage their own business,” said Yu. “I think that can be really empowering for a kid of that age to actually get exposed to those business ideas. We had them figure out unit costs, like how much does it cost and considering shipping. They were getting tape and boxes and actually packaging them. They definitely got to learn firsthand and were exposed to what it takes to start your own business.
“For example, we talked about things like pricing, and what they should price their pizza at, and we taught them that they had to stay within competitor prices,” Yu added. “Knowing what other local competitors are charging, while also being mindful of the value that they bring to the table. You’re supporting a kid entrepreneur, it’s a local business with fresh and organic ingredients from a garden. Our product is a little bit different from Pizza Hut or other big chains.”
Another participant in the program, London Tafor, said she learned ways to bring customers in depending on the product and how to easily use the Business Planner. The students took the lead on creating and marketing their Badgerizza kits.
“It helped organize the important specifics of our business,” said Veda Newson, a student entrepreneur. “I also learned that I don’t have to be a senior in high school or adult to start my own business. They taught us that you need certain resources and connections with people, but you don’t need a lot of money to do.”
Skar and Yu send a special thank you to Sarah Karlson, Rooted Education Director/Badger Rock Farm & Education Manager. The deadline to order a pizza kit is tonight at 11:59 pm, click here to place an order and for more information. The pizza kits will be available for curbside pickup tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 18 at Badger Rock Middle School, located at 501 E. Badger Rd. in Madison.
