Lemonade Day opens registration period for 6th edition
Centro CRECE’s youth entrepreneurship program, Lemonade Day, has opened the registration period for its sixth edition in Puerto Rico. More than 5,500 youngsters aged 6 to 12 and 2,000 mentors have participated in the program since 2019, in which they are taught how to create, launch and manage a lemonade stand business.
The program culminates in the National Lemonade Day, where participants set up their booths and sell their lemonade to the public.
“We invite all youth in Puerto Rico to sign up for Lemonade Day. This is a different and fun program that teaches and motivates participants, together with parents and mentors, to start their own businesses to produce income to spend, save and share,” stated Natalia Subirá, director of Lemonade Day Puerto Rico.
“We cover all the steps from developing a business plan and raising capital to product development and running the lemonade stand. During the experience, valuable life skills are acquired such as goal setting, money management, teamwork, oral expression, mathematics, leadership and customer service,” Subirá explained.
Participants also have the chance to compete for the best lemonade and entrepreneur of the year titles, Subirá added.
In 2023, Lemonade Day Puerto Rico saw record-breaking participation with 1,984 youngsters and 776 mentors from 148 public and private schools, home schools and 10 organizations islandwide. On National Lemonade Day the average gross income per lemonade stand was $443.
Surveys revealed that 79% of participants intended to keep their stands running after the event, and 99% would recommend Lemonade Day to their peers.
“We’re very grateful for the compelling support we have received from sponsors, participants, schools and organizations during the first five years of the program,” said Tere Nolla, executive director of the CRECE Center. “We’re energized by knowing that, through Lemonade Day, we are cultivating a powerful generation of entrepreneurs who will be empowered to thrive and achieve success according to their goals.”
She added that the growing interest in Lemonade Day indicates “there is entrepreneurial talent and a desire for financial independence.”
In 2022, Centro CRECE entered an agreement with the Department of Education to integrate Lemonade Day lessons in class, reaching 17 schools in 2023.
