Holiday Gift Shops run by students. Since 1990, school districts and communities throughout the United States have implemented the Keepers model, offering real-life business experiences to thousands of high school students, community volunteers and elementary school student patrons. Teachers and students open actual stores in downtowns, schools, or other locations, along with community volunteers and local business partners. Keepers stores can be incorporated into any class for hands-on learning in the real world.
Students learn along the way.
They do everything from writing business plans and obtaining bank loans for inventory, to dressing windows, marketing and assisting little customers in their shopping. The model is designed to be open for two to three weeks in December and operated by students from various programs. Keepers is designed to meet the educational needs of all students in grades 6 through 12, and can be adapted by location to meet unique circumstances and objectives.