These kids mean business

An earnest 11-year-old from Dorchester, DeWayne Walker, and his fellow business apprentices had conducted careful market research well in advance of their sales trip to Babson College in Wellesley. With college students stressed and harried from approaching final exams, the young entrepreneurs surmised, a "Grab and Go" care package of chocolate, candy, and Capri Sun would surely do a brisk business.

"We thought about what college students would want, and we thought, 'College students need to eat fast, and they need junk food, because they don't have that in the cafeteria,' " Walker recalled. " 'And they don't have much money, so it needs to be cheap.' "

That marketing strategy paid off one recent weekday, as a dozen students from Paul A. Dever Elementary School in Dorchester and Irving Middle School in Roslindale peddled their wares -- a savvy blend of food, fashion accessories, and study aids -- at the college's campus center. It was the culmination of a 10-week apprenticeship through the Boston after-school program Citizen Schools working with Babson undergraduates. The middle-schoolers learned business skills, self-confidence, and responsibility by brainstorming products and bringing them to market.

John Pelaez, a gregarious 11-year-old from Roslindale, said the key to the smashing success of the "Christmas Deluxe Finals Kit," which featured notepads, pens and pencils, and candles sold in a Santa hat, was simple. Tootsie Pops, perfect for a study break.

"We thought that would make it more fun for the students," Pelaez said.

Watching the young students draw collegiate consumers in with disarming smiles and well-practiced pitches, Babson students said the children had keen eyes for a market niche and a knack for moving merchandise.

"They recognized the problem with college cafeterias right away," agreed Babson senior Greg Provencal, a marketing major. "Lack of candy."

Founded in 1995, Citizen Schools offers more than 80 apprenticeships to more than 1,200 students ages 9 to 14 in Boston schools. The program seeks to teach children real-world skills, help them develop social poise and leadership, and expose them to new experiences and possibilities. Many of the students are from poor and working-class families and benefit from the example and guidance of successful adults.

But Citizen's teachers and the Babson students agree the collaboration is less mentorship than mutual exchange.

"Even though they're together a short time, it's a very deep and meaningful experience," said Citizen Schools' Kristy Krugh. "There's a magic in apprenticeships, that moment when the light bulb clicks for both sides and it all comes together."

Laura Tramontozzi, a Babson junior, watched proudly as the youngsters approached customers and looked them squarely in the eye as they described their product and the charity receiving the proceeds. Two students gave a customer change and a receipt, thanked her profusely, and scrambled to record the transaction in the ledger, working together on the math.

Amisha Patel, a Babson junior majoring in finance, said teaching the children the tricks of the trade was as rewarding as learning them herself.

"It was great to take what I had learned and pass it along," she said. "Now they know basically what I learned freshman year."

In designing their products, many of which included logos and personalized messages, students demonstrated teamwork, but competition and peer pressure to do well also emerged, volunteers said. The students, who were excited to be on a college campus, were determined to perform professionally. "They are still at the age where any real-world exposure is thrilling to them," said Alex Dunn, a 28-year-old Citizen Schools' teaching associate. "They aren't used to being given responsibility, but if you give them the ball, they'll run with it."

All fall, students learned about business theory -- start-up costs, overhead, profit margin, and marketing and product promotion. Early this month, they put that knowledge to practice.

Julian Bimentel, a 10-year-old from South Boston, said he sold about 19 $5 leather belts. His secret? An acronymic guide.

"S is for smile, A is for ask, L is for --" he paused, trying to recall, "listen, L is for listen. E is for explain. S is for state the price."

As for future career goals, Ronald Eliassaint, a Roslindale sixth-grader, was confident he would enjoy a lucrative athletic career. But after working with the Babson students, he had a new fallback position -- a Wall Street wheeler-dealer.

"Like Donald Trump on 'Apprentice,' " he said, nodding sagely.

Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.