Kids aged 15-21 from the Warwick-based Trudeau Center’s Pathways Strategic Testing Center tasted the idea of working for themselves while they tasted three popcorn flavors. These are “Youth in Transition” (YIT) student enrolled in the state’s special education program. With the help of the RI Cross Disability Coalition and the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) Self Employment project director, leaders, and small business owners, coupled with funding from the RI Division of Developmental Disabilities, these students teamed up to create three distinctly different popcorn companies for Kettle corn, Buttered popcorn, and Gourmet popcorn. Given workbooks to guide each of the three teams, along with delicious samples, each team developed a business name, logo, slogan, target market, and options to help determine where and how to sell the products.
Beginning with a day of information on the benefits of employment and the inspiring success stories from RIDDC’s Business Class graduates who are now business owners, followed by the mentor-led collaborative work session on the second day, the fun-filled entrepreneurial learning experience culminated on day three with presentations from the three popcorn company teams to judges from the Trudeau Center and guests including family members, staff from the Trudeau Center, State DDD, RI Cross Disability Coalition and the RIDDC.
Sampling of all three popcorn flavors gave the judges the time required to evaluate these projects. “This was difficult. We loved the aprons team group “UM! UM! UM! NOW!” Created. We loved the logo and slogan “CYMBAL” with “Music to your taste buds” team 2 created. And, we were impressed by team 3, Million Mile Valley, LLC., whose members greeted us at the door, before the presentations began.”
“When the judges selected team 3, the gourmet popcorn company presentation, the team burst with enthusiasm, jumping from their seats, screaming with delight and high-fives,” project director Sue Babin noted as she chuckled. “It was a great experience for everyone, and thanks to BHDDH funding, we plan to do four more of these entrepreneurial projects throughout the state.”
Karyn Carfagna, one of the project facilitator’s with her son, Jack, led the winning team, having shared the experiences of their business start-up and the ongoing work of Mr. T’s Old Thyme Scents, a company that features unique scents for hand-made candle and carpet sprinkles. Their team’s gourmet popcorn would target farmers’ markets, school fund-raising events, and B2B selling to gourmet supermarkets.
RIDDC self-employment mentor Laurie Masterson, led team1, with the support of business owner Heidi Showstead and her shared class experience, leading to her new business serving clients in selecting unique gifts, “The Gift Guru”. Their team focused on kettle corn that would target home, school, and farmer’s markets.
RIDDC self-employment mentor Claudia Lowe, with her daughter, Katie, a small business owner of “Cheetah Greetings”, hand-made greeting cards, buttons, and pins, shared their entrepreneurial adventure and personal stories, whose team created the circus-inspired, CYMBAL-crashing monkey theme, slogan, and target audience.
According to Amy Stone, Transition Coordinator, Pathways Strategic Teaching Center, “The Popcorn Project is one of the only employment opportunities that many of our students at Pathways have ever been offered, and they not only met our expectations but exceeded them! They were so engaged and excited to add their ideas to the presentations. Their voices, AAC devices, and gestures were seen and heard from their group leaders, and it was obvious that their input was valued. This gave each student a huge sense of accomplishment and pride.”
Noting the larger context of this project, she continued, “I’d want to say thank you to anybody who helped create this opportunity for our students and anyone else who can benefit from this. It shows that employment is a real possibility for every person and it’s what we strive for at Pathways!”
At the end of the day, to sweeten the first-place award to the Million Mile Valley, LLC. team, the RIDDC gave each team member a fifty-dollar check.
To see photos from the event, check out the gallery below.
