CLEVELAND — A group of Ohio high school students is spending free time learning the ins and outs of running a business while building bridges between different walks of life in the process. 

What You Need To Know

  • Former teacher Julie Kaufman started the Shakers Makers program when her son was in fourth grade and noticed kids who rode the bus didn’t play on the playground with local kids after school

  • The goal of the program is to teach the students to build bonds with people who are different to help shape the community 

  • The students do it through crafting, making keychains for sale all April in The Corner at Van Aken Market Hall

Shaker Makers is giving nine Shaker Heights high school students some real-world skills outside the classroom setting. 

Former teacher Julie Kaufman started the program when her son was in fourth grade and noticed kids who rode the bus didn’t play on the playground with local kids after school. That was five years ago. 

“I think that it’s not often enough that we really intentionally reach out and make friendships and make connections with people who aren’t, either live on our street or live next door to us or go to our school,” Kaufman said. 

Kaufman’s goal with the program is to teach the students to build bonds with people who are different to help shape the community. 

“It matters multiplied over and over and over,” she said. “I mean, I think that’s change. That’s how things evolve.”

She’s sharing this lesson through crafting. The students are making resin keychains to sell at The Corner inside Van Aken Market Hall in April.

Lauren McGuthry is taking a shine to the keychain making. She polishes them to prepare each piece for a coat of clear paint.  

“I’m actually planning on buying the ‘M,'” she said. 

Cherrish Mombo is close by with that clear paint. 

“It’s taking a long time, surprisingly,” she said. 

The process is another learning lesson for the students about effective time management. 

“Because you have to have a schedule so you can get everything done and ready to sell,” said Claudia Cullen. 

“I’ve never done anything like this before and I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about like working and all that stuff,” said Sienna Sindwani. 

Brothers Jordan and John Long are also lending their hands to the project.  

Jordan crunched numbers to help determine how much the handmade keychains should sell for. 

“There’s a lot of extra costs and things that I didn’t know existed,” he said. 

While he drills down the numbers, John drills holes in the resin for key rings. 

“It takes time to find a good spot,” he explained. “Usually on the circular ones.”

Shaker Makers isn’t a school project and the students all volunteered to have the entrepreneurial experience in their free time. 

Because, what else would they be doing? 

“Sleeping,” said Elise Boyd. “Or eating snacks and watching Netflix.”

The keychains will be sold all April in The Corner at Van Aken Market Hall.