04-15-2026
Students from Indiana K-12 schools transformed the Daniels School of Business’ Rawls Hall into a vibrant hub of entrepreneurship on April 1, presenting and selling products they created from the ground up as part of the annual Dennis J. Weidenaar Classroom Business Enterprise (CBE) Showcase.
Hosted by the Purdue Center for Economic Education (PCEE), the showcase gives Indiana elementary, middle and high school students the opportunity to design, produce, and market their own products, applying lessons in economics and finance in a real-world setting. The 2026 event brought eight student groups from six schools.
“This is where we get to see all the ideas that have come from the business workshop [delivered in fall],” said Ryan Umbeck, interim director of PCEE and a clinical assistant professor of Economics. “The event gives students the connection and application of economics, entrepreneurship and finance in a real business setting.”
Umbeck emphasized that the showcase helps bridge classroom concepts with practical experience. “It’s a fun experience for the kids — they really enjoy it — and it gives them real-world application for what they’re learning,” he said.
For teachers, the program offers an opportunity to shift from traditional instruction to experiential learning. Therese Comery, a third-grade teacher at Hershey Elementary School, said her students’ work far exceeded expectations. “They were involved in every step of the process, and they took true ownership of it.”
T.J. Rosa, a third- and fourth-grade high ability teacher at Hershey, says CBE helps students grow beyond academic skills. “A lot of students come out of their shell, especially when they are advertising or selling their product,” Rosa said.
After the two-hour showcase, students reflected on their sense of accomplishment. Eden Jackus, a Hershey fourth-grader, described the challenges and rewards of building a business with classmates. “I think we are just proud of how we were able to put it together and how much money we made.”
Chloe Soto, also a fourth-grader at Hershey, said her team plans to spend their profits on a class field trip and on future business projects.
The CBE showcase provides K-12 students an opportunity to hone decision-making and teamwork skills in a setting that builds upon traditional coursework. This is the event’s goal, Umbeck said: to encourage students to apply what they learn in the classroom to the larger world beyond it.
