By Jesse Moya
The Deming Headlight, N.M.
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) A new entrepreneurship camp for kids will get underway in late June. The course will help children create their own products and sell them at a New Mexico Farmers and Crafters Market. In addition to creating and marketing a product, campers will learn basic financial skills like how to establish a budget.
DEMING
Business and entrepreneurship is usually reserved for adults looking to pave the way in the job market and set career goals, however that won’t be the case when children are asked to step up in Luna County later this month.
New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is bringing Camp Innoventure to Deming to give children the opportunity to call the shots as they get the chance to come up with an idea and grow it.
The Arrowhead Center was created by NMSU to be an engine for sustainable economic development, ultimately improving the quality of life for all New Mexicans, according to its’ Facebook Page. The group promotes technology and business advances through entrepreneurship.
The camp is for children in fifth grade through nine grade and will run from June 27 to July 2. The course will help children create their own product and sell it at the Deming MainStreet Program Famers’ and Crafters’ Market. In addition to marketing a product, children will learn how to create a budget and learn basic financial skills they will need later on in life.
The DMS Farmers and Crafters Market is open from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday in the parking lot of Mimbres Internal Medicine (corner of Copper and Spruce streets). The young entrepreneurs will be at the market place on July 2.
“I think we need something like this to inspire the youth to show them that they are capable of doing things like this — that they’re capable of making a product and selling it,” said Deming-Luna County Economic Development Executive Director Cassie Arias.
Arias has been working for nearly a year to try and build entrepreneurship in the community and says introducing with young people is a step toward that goal.
With marketing and selling their product, campers will be entered into a contest to determine who has the best item for sale.
The winner will have their product available for purchase at the Deming Visitor Center.
“This is something that we have been talking about and part of our mission is to create opportunities,” said Arias.
The camp will run from 8 a.m. to noon on the week of June 27 at the Andres Z. Silva Conference Center, 119 E. Pine St. and is free for the campers to attend.
Camp Innoventure has made its way to several towns around New Mexico and will be hosting camp for the first time in Deming. Only 25 spots are available. Those interested are encouraged to call DLCED at 546-8848 (ext 118) or send an email to carias@cityofdeming.org.
