Helping youth help Alaska.

• Author: Cutler, Debbie
• Position: From the Editor

When Julie Eberly of Houston, Texas, walks into a room and talks about Lemonade Day, to be held Sunday, May 1 in Anchorage for the first time ever in Alaska, the whole room lights up with her big smile and amazing enthusiasm.

"It's a learning journey," she says of the program, geared toward children in kindergarten through 12th grades, which teaches these youngsters and teens about entrepreneurship, and a whole lot more. Students in Anchorage, Eagle River, the Mat-Su Valley and possibly Fairbanks will set up lemonade stands, learning business skills while earning money with a three-part mission: some goes to self, some goes to savings and some goes back to the community. Eberly is working with the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development (led by Christi Bell, director), and other leaders who generate interest in the program, as well as teach youngsters and teens how to run a business. They are in partnership with Junior Achievement of Alaska.

"We have this crazy quest to have a million kids a year learn about business in 100 cities across America by 2014," she said.

The Anchorage goal for this year is to have 1,000 participants. "We need teamwork to make that happen," said Bell. The eventual goal is going to have every child in the state participate.

"It's going to be amazing to watch," added Eberly.

Last year they had 67,000 participants in 14 cities across the U.S. This year the numbers are expected to double. They enlist the help of teachers, school leaders, lenders, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, YMCA, businesses, building suppliers, and much more. They are working to expand the program into Native villages, and seeking the help of Native organizations throughout the state.

There are several steps involved in the program:

* Set goals

* Create a business plan

* Establish a budget

* Find investors (which they pay back with profits)

* Choose a site

* Market and sell the product

* Save for the future

* Give back to the community (Last year $4.2 million was raised in Houston alone, and children there donated more than $1 million to charities of their choosing.)

Stories about children's success are amazing.

One youth in Houston set up his stand at a racing event and soon learned racers didn't want lemonade, they wanted water. So he charged $1 for...