Open for Business: Sustainable StEP Schools

Sustainability in the Student Enterprise Program is a way of life.

Through StEP, students in over 30 local elementary schools are learning the skills they will need to become productive citizens, able to contribute to their communities.

Parham Elementary is the first Cincinnati Public Elementary to begin to operate StEP with minimal support from the Economics Center. Aisha Rudolph-Nurredin, StEP facilitator, shares “the students and faculty at Parham completely understood the concept [of sustainability] and have worked diligently to ensure ongoing success of the program.” Early this year, Parham students will start their very own, onlocation, StEP school store. The students will run the school store, manage inventory, set prices, etc. Parham teachers recognize that this initiative is a testament of the high level of leadership and managerial skills students at Parham possess. StEP has taught students confidence and self-reliance, and is moving the school to the next level of the program. Parham school store will open for business on January 25.

Sustainability is core to StEP in two important ways: individually, the students practice responsibility by planning and learning to make wise decisions; collectively, they are ensuring that StEP is integrated into the curriculum and culture of the school through creation of school-run businesses and school stores.As Parham Elementary shows, students’ individual choices continue to drive this program.