Summer may mean a break from the classroom, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for youngsters to learn and experience new things.

On August 8, Commissioner John V. Kelly III (Nutley Department of Public Affairs and Health), in partnership with Commissioner Tom Evans (Nutley Department of Revenue and Finance), presented a Lemonade Stand Workshop for children in grades four to eight in the council chambers at the Nutley Town Hall. This new initiative is designed to educate youngsters about the basics of food safety as well as the financial aspects  of owning a lemonade stand.

“Not only does the workshop set out to teach kids about profitability, but it’s also designed to teach them about safe food preparation and how that plays a very important role in running a successful business,” said Kelly.

Led by Nutley’s Licensed Registered Environmental Health Specialist, Robert DeBello, Jr.  and Nutley Chief Financial Officer John Ditinyak, the workshop offered attendees a hands-on opportunity in learning how to set up and run a lemonade stand. 

DeBello taught the children about the important role hand washing plays in preventing the spread of illness, how to properly wash lemons, to ask an adult for help if sharp objects are needed in preparation, how to treat ice as a food item and how to properly store their product. 

“You want to be sure you protect yourself, your money and your lemonade,” DeBello recommended. “You will always want to have an adult with you at your lemonade stand.”

Ditinyak showed the children how to determine what to charge for their lemonade in order to turn a profit. He got them to consider what supply costs go into making one pitcher of lemonade, how to make change for a customer and how to best advertise their product. 

He encouraged the junior entrepreneurs to “go out and do it, and not just do the talk.” Every youngster who participated in the workshop received a Junior Food Handler’s Certificate.