Sell, sell, sell! Students learn tricks of the trade

Grand prize winner of this year’s Island County Economic Development Foundation Student Entrepreneur Challenge is “Joy to the Jars,” the organization announced.

Oak Harbor High School students Sarah Smith, Sarah Peele, Peyton Carlson, Jacklyn Curtis, Caity Torres, and their mentor, Kimberly Hoctor of the Handbag Consignment Shop in Coupeville, created handmade jars of chocolate Chex mix and earned the most profit.

For its efforts, the team received the grand prize award of $250 in-school scholarship per student.

Oak Harbor High School will host the traveling trophy for the next year.

The “Joy to the Jars” team also won the Sno-Isle Libraries Award of $100 in-school scholarship per student for the team’s use of library resources in researching and supporting their business.

The second annual Student Entrepreneur Challenge included four teams of 17 students. It’s designed to give students real-world business experience by writing a business plan, recruiting investors and actively selling a product or service for one week.

Teams of three to five students chose their product or service based on a number of factors, including skills and local demand. Each team is paired with a business mentor from their local community.

The Continuing Business Award of $100 in-school scholarship per student went to the team that showed the most potential for a business idea that could continue beyond the bounds of the Challenge and contribute to the community. Linzi Maddox, Ashley Person, Caleb Spears, and their mentor Ken Davies with Cascade Aviation, called team “Simply Sound Soaps,” won the Continuing Business Award.

Team “Peppermint Baddies” sold peppermint bark candies, and team “the Sweeties” created a direct-delivery baked goods business.