Can a fourth grader start a pizza restaurant?
Students in Mrs. McCormick’s fourth-grade class at Benjamin Logan Elementary gave it a try—and learned a lot along the way.
Joenee and Heidi from Citizens Federal visited the class to teach about money and how businesses work. Instead of just talking, they led the students through a hands-on activity where they created their own business.
The class chose to open a pizza restaurant, inspired by local favorites.
Students split into groups and started building a plan.
They talked about other pizza places, figured out what they would need to get started, and estimated costs.
Then came a big question: Do we have enough money?
The answer was no.
So, students decided to ask investors for help.
They presented their idea and convinced the investors to support their business.
They still needed more money, so they went to a “bank” for a loan.
After explaining their plan, the loan was approved.
With money in place, students “bought” supplies, hired workers, and picked a location.
On opening day, they got to work running their pizza shop and serving customers.
Afterward, they reviewed their finances.
They paid rent, workers, suppliers, investors, and the bank—and still made a profit.
Joenee and Heidi explained that businesses use profits to plan ahead, cover rising costs, or grow.
The activity helped students understand how money works in real life and what it takes to run a business.
Citizens Federal also shared a free program called Banzai, which offers games and tools to help people learn more about money.
For these students, it was a fun and simple way to learn an important life skill.
