I am excited to introduce this week’s guest blogger, Laine from Transition Abilities. Laine is here to discuss more about a student business and how we can include it with a fall theme! Make sure to check out her previous post about Neurodiversity Affirming Practices.
If you’re looking for a way to help your students (or program) earn some extra money this fall, why not run a student business? In October, my students had so much fun running their Halloween Candy Delivery business that we decided to run a similar business during the month of November. Meet – the ThanksGIVING student grocery delivery business.
This business is designed to assist teachers and school staff during the busy Thanksgiving season. By taking care of their Thanksgiving grocery shopping, you can help alleviate their workload while giving your students a month-long project. Teachers can order the non-perishable items they need for their Thanksgiving dinners, and you and your students will handle the shopping and delivery. This activity also serves as community-based instruction, teaching valuable life skills such as budgeting, shopping, transportation, and communication.
Now that you understand the benefits of this project for your students and the school community, let’s delve into how it works.
Before launching the Thanksgiving delivery service, secure approval from your school administrators. This step is crucial and should be completed before sharing the plan with your students.
To ensure smooth operations, prepare essential materials, some of which can be easily printed or created in digital form. Consider using ready-made, editable forms and flyers. Specifically, you’ll need:
– Visual Instructions: Provide students with step-by-step visual directions to guide them in their roles.
– Flyers: Create eye-catching flyers to promote your service within the school community. Place them in offices or send digital copies via email.(Or use this free template!)
– Order Forms: Prepare order forms with a checklist of grocery items to facilitate customer orders.
– Order Master List Form: Create a form to track all orders and ensure accuracy.
– Invoice Form: Use invoices to keep track of costs and calculate final bills for customers.
Spread the word about your Thanksgiving delivery service throughout the school community. Involve your students in distributing flyers and consider setting up a booth in a common area for inquiries.
Want more tips on getting set up with a classroom business, read this post.
Here’s how the business functions, along with your students’ roles:
Start by sending a digital Google form to teachers and school staff interested in placing orders. As orders come in, ensure your students collect them diligently, paying close attention to details.
With all order forms in hand, assist your students in organizing orders using the master list. This makes it easier to track items that need to be purchased and delivered.
Take your students to the local supermarket with the shopping list in hand. Let them enjoy the experience, honing their consumer skills while looking for quality and cost-effective products. If your class has funds, use them for purchases; otherwise, consider fronting the money and recouping it when orders are paid for.
After gathering the items, prepare invoices for each customer, double-checking calculations for accuracy. You can print invoices on sticker paper and attach them to the grocery packages to prevent them from getting lost during delivery.
Have your students visit each customer to collect payment for the groceries, enhancing their customer service and money management skills. Consider working for tips rather than charging a delivery fee, as it often results in generous gratuities. The collected tips can benefit your students or go toward future community outings.
Your students will work together to ensure each order reaches its destination. They can use a visual delivery script if necessary, further developing their social and customer service skills.
Want to know more about ESY student business, check this out!
This Thanksgiving delivery service is an opportunity to engage your special education students in a meaningful project this November. It allows them to learn and practice valuable life and job skills while fostering teamwork and determination. And – your coworkers will be so grateful for your students’ help!
Grab this Thanksgiving Grocery Store resource for you to use today!
What are you looking for?
COPYRIGHT © 2024 Full SPED Ahead
