Comstock Park — It only took a second for seventh-grader Evelyn Stalsonburg to figure out her mistake.
“Wait; you bought six items and gave me $10, and I gave you back what you owed me in change,” Evelyn said as she took back the $6 in change she had just handed to concessions customers at a wrestling event, redid the math, then correctly delivered $4 in change.
Evelyn is just one of the members of the Mill Creek Middle School Boys and Girls Club who are learning how to handle money by collecting admission and overseeing concessions at the school’s sporting events.
“I already had agreed to help out with the gate for the games,” said social worker Mandy Bernal-Hill, who is the adviser for the Boys and Girls Club. “It was while sitting at one of the games that I began to think that I should get my students involved.”
Another reason for getting the students involved is there was interest in concessions but none previously were available, Bernal-Hill said.
Hill said she decided having students help at the gate and run concessions would be a great way for the club to earn some extra money while students learn about money etiquette and build communication skills.
“Some of the students really struggle talking to adults,” she explained. “Through working the gate and concessions, they learn about saying ‘Hello’ and ‘How can I help you?’ as well as how to count out change.”
Building Confidence, Skills & Funds
Eighth-grader Brianna Troutman said she wanted to be part of the program to help her out of her comfort zone.
“For me, it was about getting more involved,” Brianna said. “I have anxiety, and I felt this would really help me come out of my shell.”
Concession items such as bottled water, chips and candy sell for $1 each, keeping the math easy for students to add up purchases and count out change.
Profits go toward club activities and programs, and students learn to keep that cash separate from admission fees that go to the school.
“We just had a moment where one of the students took out all the money from the cash box and fanned it out,” Bernal-Hill said. “It was a teachable situation, as we talked about why we don’t do that and the importance of keeping the money in the box.”
Eighth-grader Guadalupe Garcia said one of the skills she’s learned is how to count back change. She explained that if someone gives her $20 for $8 in admission tickets, she would count the change back to $20.
“So two ones make $10, and another $10 makes $20,” she said.
Hill said she’s looking to invest in a hotdog cooker to expand concession offerings.
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