The Brookside Elementary School second-grade lemonade stand returned for its third year last Friday.
Lauren Maywald and Kristin Maldonado’s second-grade classes have spent recent weeks learning about business development, financial literacy, marketing and advertising. Using their new skills, the students developed persuasive presentations and marketing materials, and even created a commercial, to bring their lemonade business to life.
“I got to be in the commercial,” second-grader Gia Louis said. “My favorite part was recording my voice and doing the lemonade handshake.”
Teachers said the project extended beyond the second-grade classrooms, with students around the school getting involved. Some created jingles and posters at home to support the effort, and then shared with their peers. The business, dubbed the Lemon Squad, gave second-graders the chance to take on specific roles, including graphic designers, members of the advertising team and marketing representatives.
According to the Baldwin school district, over the past two years, Brookside second-grade classes have raised more than $1,600 for charitable causes, including Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, an American pediatric cancer charity, and Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit that supports families with sick children.
Organizers said the annual project continues to grow each year, both in participation and in its impact on the community.
This year, the second-graders decided to raise money for Camp Anchor, a beloved organization operated by the Town of Hempstead in Lido Beach, which provides year-round recreational and social programs for children and adults with special needs — summer camps, trips, dances and other activities designed to promote inclusion, independence and community connection.
“We’re raising money for Camp Anchor so they can get new things and help kids who can’t walk, speak or hear,” second-grader Julissa Allen said. “It makes me happy because we’re helping other kids.”
The district emphasizes hands-on learning opportunities to enhance classroom learning. The lemonade stand was the final part of the second-grade financial literacy unit, in which students learned about budgeting, pricing, profit and civic responsibility. They discussed how businesses operate, how to advertise effectively and how charitable giving can support community organizations.
“We learned about financial literacy and fundraising, and then we voted to choose Camp Anchor,” Gia Louis said. “We wanted to help them have money for activities and things they need.”
“The lemonade stand supports our future-ready competencies of our 6 C’s,” Brookside Principal Jeanette Rottkamp explained. The district’s 6 C’s of education are character, creativity, critical thinking, communication, citizenship and collaboration.
“This supports collaboration,” Rottkamp added, “because not only are our second-grade classes collaborating, but also collaboration among the whole school. We showcased the video to the school, and now everyone is donating. The creativity is through all of the posters the students created. And character because they are donating. They picked the organization and they learned about the organization. They really identified who they were giving back to — it wasn’t arbitrary, they really thought about this.”
“My favorite part was making the lemonade cheer with my friends,” Julissa Allen added. “It was really fun, and we kept remembering it over and over again.”
The students sold lemonade for $2 a cup during the school’s three lunch periods last Friday. Students in all grades were given the opportunity to donate to Camp Anchor and receive a cup of lemonade in return.
Tables decorated with colorful, student-made posters lined the hallway outside the cafeteria as second-graders eagerly collected donations, poured lemonade and greeted their peers. Classmates from across grade levels handed over dollar bills and loose change, and walked away with a cup of lemonade and a smile.
For the young entrepreneurs, the afternoon was more than a fundraiser — it was a lesson in leadership, teamwork and giving back.
