Sponsor Spotlight: King Soopers supports experiential learning

A staple of any community is a market—a place to shop for groceries and other household items we use every day.  Young AmeriTowne is no exception!  The Market Shop is a place for citizens to purchase snacks, drinks, gift bags and more as they go about their day in Towne.  Thanks to the generosity of King Soopers, the Market also provides a life-like business and shopping experience for Colorado 5^th graders.

King Soopers is part of the Kroger brand which has had a long history of community support.  In Colorado, King Soopers is dedicated to feeding the hungry, supporting women’s health and the military, and, most importantly for Young Americans Center, sponsoring youth education.  In fact, in 2015, King Soopers and the Kroger brand provided $34.2 million nationally to support schools and education programs.

The King Soopers Market at Young AmeriTowne in Denver has been a consistent presence for more than ten years.  The Market houses a barcode reader that actually beeps when it scans products, a checkout stand light that illuminates when the shop is open for business and a Market Rewards Program that provides a 10% discount on all purchases by customers who sign up.  The shop even looks and feels like a real King Soopers store.  Thanks to all the King Soopers volunteers who made the Market a real-life experience for students.

Market employees include a Manager, Accountant and Cashiers, who all have important roles to play.  Cashiers perform sales and practice customer service, the Accountant keeps track of all shop expenses and revenue, and the Manager adjusts prices to meet demand while overseeing all shop operations.  Because the Market sells up to seven different products, adjusting prices is particularly important if the shop is to make a profit.  Popular items (such as popcorn, candy and Rice Krispie Treats) can help the shop make more money than items such as pencils and gift bags.

When young people are truly engaged, the best type of learning takes place.  Students are so engrossed they don’t even realize that they are learning at Young AmeriTowne.  King Soopers makes this type of education possible every day, and for that we are extremely grateful!