Classmates create ice cream concepts and compete for consumers
Kearney, Mo., May 6, 2021: Anya Dunn has figured out the recipe for success.
Ms. Dunn and her Kearney High School Agriculture Education classmates spent the school year developing ice cream recipes, business plans and marketing materials, according to teacher Erica Hart. School staff sampled their products and voted on who they felt created the best ice cream business during a special event.
“They created budgets with fixed and variable costs, developed their marketing plans, and dove into the world of food science with their creative flavors,” Ms. Hart said. “This group of students took this assignment very seriously and have truly created the best plans I’ve ever had.”
This project is part of Kearney School District’s Real World Learning initiative, which aims to equip every student with market value experiences and assets by the time they graduate from high school. Getting that kind of hands-on experience is a more effective way of mastering new skills, according to Anya.
“I think the biggest takeaway from this experience was learning a marketing strategy,” she said. “We had to figure out how to get teachers or administrators – anyone in the district – to come here and want to buy our ice cream. What type of marketing strategies should we use? What flavors will attract that crowd.”
One of the student-built businesses used a carnival theme, with flavors like funnel cake ice cream. Another group dug deeper into food science and created a concept around molecular gastronomy.
Anya, a senior, and her two business partners were pitching coffee-based ice creams, which appeared to be a popular choice for many staff. Java seemed like a natural choice given the market they were trying to reach.
“We think that teachers just like coffee,” She said.
