Student Social Entrepreneurship Project Raises $3,300+ for Local Community Impact

Empowering Young Social Entrepreneurs: A Community Success Story

What happens when you empower fourth graders to tackle real-world challenges? Extraordinary things.

Following a successful schoolwide food drive last fall, our Little School fourth graders asked a vital question: “What happens after the food we collected runs out?” That single spark of inquiry evolved into a massive, student-led social entrepreneurship venture: The Leadership Symposium Farmers Market.

From engineering greenhouse yields using Next Generation Science Standards to pitching business plans to administrative mentors, our students took on the responsibilities of leadership every step of the way.

The culmination of their hard work came to life on June 3, when the campus bustled with families, community members, and special guests. Among those who attended to support our young entrepreneurs were Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes, as well as representatives from The Community Chest, the Center for Food Action, and the Tenafly Nature Center. The EMS Parents Association’s Green and Service Committees were also on hand, offering fresh juice blends, seed packets, and salad dressing recipe cards alongside homemade samples from committee members — providing the perfect pairings for the market’s fresh produce.

The market also spotlighted how innovation grows across divisions at EMS. Seventh-grader Ari S., this year’s EMS Top Entrepreneur Award winner, joined as a VIP, with his own dedicated table. Ari introduced attendees to Pollin8ive, an inspiring product-driven nonprofit he launched through Morrow House’s middle school entrepreneurship elective, taught by Head of School Marek Beck, Ph.D. His venture actively supports struggling pollinators and works to restore local ecosystems.

Now that the market has closed, the results are in. Our students have finalized their numbers, decided how to distribute their profits, and received significant international recognition in the process.

Read the full, heartfelt reflection letter from our fourth-grade student leaders and Leadership Symposium faculty below to discover the market’s impact in its first year, the beautiful symbolism behind their reinvestment numbers, and how our tiny farm made a global splash.

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Dear Elisabeth Morrow School Community,

With full hearts and immense gratitude, we want to thank our entire community for supporting our Fourth-Grade Leadership Symposium Farmers Market project.
Because of your enthusiasm, generosity, and belief in our students, this year’s market was an extraordinary success. Families, faculty, staff, community partners, and friends joined together to celebrate student leadership while supporting an important cause. We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended, purchased products, engaged with our student leaders, encouraged their efforts along the way, and generously contributed donations to the Center for Food Action. Your support helped our students see firsthand the power of a community coming together to care for one another.

Our student leaders are proud to share that the Farmers Market raised $3,304. After expenses, students carefully reviewed the finances and made thoughtful decisions about how to use the profits from their hard work.

• In keeping with the mission of the project, students chose to donate $1,300.04 to The Community Chest to support efforts to address food insecurity and promote healthy eating in our local community.

• Students also designated $1,111.11 to reinvest in “The Little Farm” on campus. This amount was chosen with purpose. The repeating ones symbolize the student founders of this project and serve as a reminder that meaningful change often begins with one idea, one act of kindness, one courageous leader, and one community coming together to make a difference.

We are especially excited that our donation to The Community Chest will help support Neighborhood Harvest, a community initiative that increases access to fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables while also providing subsidized produce to individuals and families facing food insecurity and health challenges. Like our Farmers Market project, Neighborhood Harvest recognizes that access to healthy food strengthens both individuals and communities. It is inspiring for our students to see how the values they embraced through this project continue to create impact beyond our school walls. Additional information about this important initiative is attached for those interested in learning more.

We are also incredibly honored to share that our Fourth-Grade Leadership Symposium Farmers Market Project has been selected for inclusion in the National Association of Independent Schools’ publication, “Education Innovations from Independent Schools Around the World.” Chosen from among thousands of independent schools globally, this recognition places our students’ work among a select group of innovative educational initiatives that exemplify the very best of teaching and learning.
What began as a group of fourth graders asking how they could address food insecurity in their community grew into an authentic experience in leadership, entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, service learning, and social impact. To have their work recognized on an international stage is a remarkable testament to the compassion, creativity, determination, and courage of our student leaders.

The publication will be released in September, and we cannot wait to share it with our community. We are immensely proud that the voices, ideas, and actions of our students will inspire educators and schools around the world. Their work reminds us all that age does not determine one’s ability to lead meaningful change and that when young people are empowered to tackle real-world challenges, extraordinary things happen.

The learning did not end when the market closed. We have updated our EMS Farmers Market website with new chapters documenting the students’ continued reflection, discoveries, and growth throughout this journey. Some community members asked for additional information about the microherbs featured at our market, so we have included ideas for using them in everyday cooking, along with guidance for families interested in continuing to grow herbs at home. We hope these resources inspire even more people to experience the joy of growing and enjoying fresh food.

We invite you to visit emsfarmersmarket.org to explore these newest updates and celebrate all that our students accomplished together.

Thank you once again for believing in our students and supporting this remarkable project. Through your partnership, our students learned that leadership is not simply about having ideas; it is about taking action, serving others, and creating positive change in the world around us.

With gratitude,

The Fourth-Grade Student Leaders & Leadership Symposium Faculty
The Elisabeth Morrow School