BY STEVEN GORDON, LEMONADE DAY NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Lemonade Day cities around the world continue to monitor and assess the impact of coronavirus on our Lemonade Day 2020 season. We recognize that difficult decisions must be made, but we understand how important it is for everyone to make the best choices for the health of your families and the children who participate in the Lemonade Day program. Through this blog, I want to share some resources regarding COVID-19 as well as some tips on how youth entrepreneurs can continue practical learning of the Lemonade Day lessons that they will one day be able to apply to their business.

Our mission is to help prepare youth for life through fun, proactive and experiential programs. In times like these, having an entrepreneurial mindset becomes increasingly important when navigating the trifecta of challenging business, economic and community health conditions. We hope to bring the Lemonade Day 2020 season to most, if not all, of our Lemonade Day cities at a later date — but if not, we can feel confident that we are still achieving our mission by encouraging our registered young entrepreneurs to continue to learn remotely the lessons presented in the Lemonade Day program so they are prepared to be innovative and adaptable when faced with challenges.

COVID-19 Reliable Sources

Medical

Here are links to information about COVID-19 from national and international health organizations:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization

Talking to Kids about COVID-19

As the developments regarding COVID-19 unfold, kids’ curiosity and anxieties may rise. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has created a great tool, Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource, to assist parents and caregivers with this conversation.

David Shapiro, president and CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, delivered valuable insights and recommendations on the importance of staying connected in a time of physical distance. I am sharing David’s thoughtful message, plus tips and resources from David and his MENTOR staff, here.

Lemonade Day Lessons – Owning a Business

Because millions of children and teens will not be attending classes at their schools over the next several weeks, Lemonade Day kids can still benefit from the program’s lessons outlined in their youth workbooks or via our Lemonopolis online platform while they are at home.

If your child is not part of the Lemonade Day movement, we are encouraging kids to register for Lemonade Day and use this time away from the school routine to learn about owning a business. More information can be found at https://lemonadeday.org/find-your-city.

Lemonade Day is more than just a day — more than just a lemonade stand. The program’s lessons can be applied to any startup business, and we challenge youth entrepreneurs and their parents and mentors to brainstorm how a business strategy can be adapted to this real-world scenario. Some ideas we’ve heard include selling lemonade-to-go with prepackaged lemonade single-serve packets and a bottle of water; creating a fundraising campaign with a business partner such as a fitness center, dog groomer, or hair or nail salon; walking dogs or pet sitting; mowing lawns or cleaning flower beds; holding a car wash with lemon-scented car fresheners; and launching a Facebook fundraiser.

Lemonade Day kids have taught us how to be resilient and resourceful. In the words of our board chairman, Charlie Hamilton, “There are always business opportunities, even during difficult times. We won’t be defeated. We will come out better from these challenges, and we will come out stronger.” I am interested in hearing how you #makelemonadefromlemons.

Please share this blog with your friends, family members, and co-workers. All of us at Lemonade Day appreciate your support!

I welcome your comments and suggestions at any time. Please email me at steven@lemonadeday.org.

For more information about Lemonade Day, please visit lemonadeday.org.