Hillsboro Tuesday Night Teen Market offers AWESOME High school students the opportunity to learn how to be entrepreneurs. Partnering with the Hillsboro Chamber School to Work program and the Hillsboro School District, students have been creating art and crafts, culinary treats and services to present and sell at the market. During the project, they design and create art and craft items, or research, source and cook local in season produce. They are also learning product development, budgeting, marketing, visual display, customer service, communication and sales. The project gets them credit towards graduation and to use as their senior project.

There is a huge benefit for the students and the community as we encourage and mentor students to be creative and confident future business owners. In turn we believe that it will also encourage their peers and friends to participate more in our local markets and learn about the process of creating, producing, buying and selling their own products so we may continue to grow our wonderful local markets.

There will be up to 10 table spaces available for the teens during ten of the Tuesday Markets this summer. We plan to grow the Teen Market over the years as more students participate and our own market expands. We hope to encourage them to take a more active role in the planning of the event with leadership and board positions.

The funds will be placed into a start-up fund and students can apply for loans to use for needed supplies and equipment to start their business. For example, some students will need signage or a cash box, some might need a table or display items. The students are expected to pay back the loan if sales at the Tuesday Market allow them to do so. They will also be encouraged to 'pay it forward', on the items that can be re-used or re-purposed, to future students.

I am the manager for and represent the Hillsboro Tuesday Night Market. An awesome community festival and Market. Over the years I have noticed how many teens like to 'hang' at the Market but there has never really been much for them to do. Rather than turn them away for loitering or hanging in large 'gangs' we have been implementing programs that appeal to that age group with great success. We love our teens. They are our future shoppers, builders, creators and artists!

The Tuesday Night Teen Market will be an annual event the continues through the summer each Tuesday night at the Market. Our first of ten teen markets this year is June 23rd

We are already encouraged by the participation this first market has received and we will measure its success by the number of students who continue to participate each week and from the feed back from the Schools and the leaders in the program. We can also measure the success with our annual surveys and visual monitoring of the event and the people who participate, shop, look, talk and encourage the students.

Want to help?
The Hillsboro Chamber School to Work program is looking for community members who will encourage and mentor students to be creative and confident future business owners. The Tuesday Night Market is looking for assistance at the market to ensure the student's success. Contact: Lesley Wise - Tuesday Night Market - manager(at)HillsboroTuesdayNight(dot)org - (503) 601-0478 - www.tuesdaymarketplace.org/marketplace/teens/
Hillsboro Chamber School to Work - http://hillsborochamberor.com/stw.html