That is the saying used when we adults are surprised by gems spoken by youngsters.
The most recent gems I have received involve the mostly 5th and 6th grader’s involved in a recent entrepreneurial workshop organized as a collaborative between Ashe County 4-H, Ashe County Schools, the Chamber of Commerce and Wilkes Community College.
Along with Becky Greer, Celia Robinson of the college and Cathy Sheets of Fifth Third Bank, I helped judge business development projects devised by the students.
They followed several days of sessions with local business leaders, people who talked to them about how to run a business and gave the ideas about how to turn a new idea into a business, how to be entrepreneurs.
And so the students did with ideas like “Discovery Planet,” “Splish Splash Water Park,” some kind of amusement park/shopping mall the name of which my old ears could not discern and “Candyopolis.”
Discovery Planet idea grew out of the idea of Discovery Place in Charlotte, which features interactive scientific activities and learning. Our Ash County kids want Ashe County to have a version that includes dinosaurs, pirates and the solar system.
Splish Splash Water Park would provide Ashe County kids two swimming pools and water slides; Candyopolis features every kind of candy dispensed by type – Gummie Bears, Chocolate etc.
The amusement park/shopping mall has customers park on one side and walk though the entire ‘V’ shaped shopping complex to get to the fun stuff. The amusement park was elaborate in it own right --Carowinds at the end of a shopping excursion. The shops included clothing, sporting goods and other stuff attractive to fifth and sixth graders. Rue 21 might want to take note.
It is obvious they put thought into what they want to see and do. They were finding innovative ways to improve what they had seen and places they had been to. They wanted to know about dinosaurs and travel to the stars at Discovery Planet.
Splish Splash Water Park might offer valet parking. And for those who forgot their towel, or were too tired to dry off, a machine would lift you off the floor and turn a giant blow drier on you. Now there is creativity at work -- Kind of like the Jetsons for you readers 50 and over.
Marketing tended to be through word of mouth, TV and websites. The Jefferson Post is taking note of that and working more on its own website because these “kids” are the soon-to-be adults of the future.
Some lessons still need to be learned. There are questions in the plans about how the operations are to be managed and where the revenue comes from to support such elaborate ideas.
They may well find a way. Last year’s group of young entrepreneurs devised a community skate park. Now the county has one. Although the one dreamed of by students and the one created by county officials had different origins, the idea obviously was one to be considered and worked on. Skaters are skating there now.
Splish Splash, chocolate, amusement shopping or pirates, dinosaurs and stargazing. Which is your choice?
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