VCSU Hosts 4th Annual Marketplace for Kids
Photo: Students watch Rex, a canine officer with the border patrol, do a demonstration during the Marketplace for Kids event.
VALLEY CITY (VCSU) – Valley City State University hosted its fourth annual Marketplace for Kids Education Day on Tuesday, January 8.
An estimated 400 elementary and junior high students from six different school districts attended the event. Schools represented at the event included Valley City Washington Elementary, Milnor Public School, Barnes County North, Kulm Public School, Carrington Elementary and Litchville-Marion Public School.
Marketplace for Kids is designed to promote entrepreneurship and career awareness among 3rd-8th graders. VCSU hosts one of the several education days put on across the state by the Marketplace for Kids organization.
“We get to watch the reactions on the kids’ faces, and they’re excited all day long,” Marketplace for Kids Executive Director Robert Heitkamp said. “They’re getting to see entrepreneurship, and it might be their first look at a career. We’ve got Border Patrol here, and everything from drones to nursing.”
Chief Keisha Plaza was one of the members of the Border Patrol team that made the trip from the Pembina Port of Entry.
“We are showcasing one of our tools that we use for inspection at the border, which is our K9 program and our K9 handler,” Plaza explained. Her session included students asking about how Rex, the K9 officer, was trained and how he works to identify illegal substances.
The students asked great questions and many lined up to give Rex a friendly pat.
“We are here today because we want to bring attention to the kids of who we are and what we do,” she explained. “Hopefully to create that spark for the future that can lead to a career.”
Students had opportunities to take part in more than 20 different classes that featured projects, experiments and presentations from area professionals representing numerous careers and industries. Sessions ranged from “Experiments with Electricity” to “Unlock Your Coding Potential” and “Career Paths in Aviation.”
Valley City native and current VCSU student Alyssa Thomsen was a featured speaker at the event. A young entrepreneur, Thomsen is pursuing a degree in marketing at VCSU while running her own photography business and working part-time jobs for both VCSU and Valley City Public Schools.
The event also included a Hall of Great Ideas for students to showcase projects and ideas they developed.
Heitkamp said the Marketplace for Kids organization has been operating in North Dakota for 31 years and is expanding into Montana this year. Anyone interested in helping with the events can learn more about possibly joining an advisory leadership team in local areas or attending an event to present at www.marketplaceforkids.org.
Photo: Students at the Marketplace for Kids browse projects from other students in the Hall of Great Ideas.
