Melissa Zeiszler, the Dean of Steam at Kennedy Elementary School, helping students with Maker’s Market creations.
The Kennedy Maker’s Market, hosted at Kennedy Elementary School on March 12, provided students with hands-on entrepreneurial experience, combining creativity with academic skills for real-world applications with AIM’s assistance.
AIM played a key role in guiding students through the process—helping them choose company names, design logos and create promotional posters with pricing guides. The team also provided technical support for a standout project: a student-run custom ringtone business, ensuring seamless product delivery.
“One of the student teams wanted to make and sell custom ringtones. This innovative idea gave us the chance to shine. Getting the ringtones from the app they were created in and delivered to the customer was a complicated situation, but the expertise of AIM staff provided the technical support necessary to build a system so the kids could deliver their product,” said Isaac Piper, AIM Director of Innovation Programs.
AIM staff was involved in helping supervise groups of students as they were making, labelling, and packaging their products.
This year the students surpassed last year’s totals, and over half the businesses sold out of their products, contributing to a highly successful fundraising event that supports student activities. The market’s success highlights the impact of hands-on learning and AIM’s ongoing support for Omaha-area youth.