Dacula Middle School hosts the Create City-Marketplace

     Dacula Middle School recently hosted its highly anticipated “Create City-Marketplace” day, an interactive event where students showcase their entrepreneurial skills and creativity. This unique marketplace simulation activity allowed students to explore the basics of economics and daily life skills, covering units in entrepreneurship, marketing, employability skills, financial literacy, accounting, communication skills, human resources, and business risk.

     The Create City-Marketplace is the culmination of Chenita Mumpfield’s 8th-grade Business Education class. Mumpfield, a business education teacher at Dacula Middle, says students experienced what it is like to run a business. “Students created items to sell, developed business plans and marketing materials, and learned financial tasks like writing checks and completing check registers using school lab technology,” Mumpfield shares. “To start their businesses, students filled out license applications, paid rent and taxes, managed overhead expenses, and took out loans, learning about interest rates and repayment. Over three days, they sold products to their peers, teachers, and family members using Create City currency ($10 equaled $3 in American money) exchanged at the ‘Create City Bank & Trust.’”

     On the final day of the activity, Create City-Marketplace was alive with energy and excitement as students and adults bought products from various “businesses.” Some stores were packed, requiring students to work on their customer service skills. “Create City-Marketplace Day is an incredible opportunity for our students to apply what they’ve learned in a real-world setting,” Mumpfield adds. “They gain invaluable experience in running a business, managing finances, and developing essential life skills.”

     Mumpfield says the event was a resounding success, leaving students with a deeper understanding of economics and the confidence to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.