Illinois Lemonade Day is making its grand debut this year, in Champaign-Urbana, Effingham, and many surrounding communities in Illinois!
Lemonade Day is a FUN and FREE educational program that teaches you how to start, own, and operate your own lemonade stand business. It transforms not only the youth who participate, but the entire community.
The first annual Illinois Lemonade Day is organized locally by the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Illinois. Our goal this year is to register at least 1000 lemonade stands.
History
Lemonade Day was founded by Prepared 4 Life in 2007 in Houston, TX. The first year was a learning experience in which 2,600 kids registered for the inaugural Lemonade Day. In 2008, about 11,000 kids registered and the contests were added. In 2009, Lemonade Day expanded to Austin, Texas and Wayne County, Indiana. A total of about 31,000 kids registered in 2009. In 2010 Lemonade Day is expanding to more cities across the nation.
Prepared 4 Life
Prepared 4 Life, which first launched Lemonade Day on May 6, 2007, is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that prepares youth for life through fun, proactive and experiential programs infused with life skills, character education and entrepreneurship. Our foremost objective is building confidence and self-esteem in children which will empower them to take ownership of their lives and become healthy, contributing members of society – the business leaders, social advocates, volunteers and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow. By working with leading researchers and educators, Prepared 4 Life implements an umbrella of programming to meet this goal.
The Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, University of Illinois
The Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership offers programs which broaden the understanding, appreciation and inclusion of entrepreneurship in all disciplines across the Illinois campus. We view entrepreneurship through social, artistic, intellectual and scientific lenses, in addition to the traditional business perspective. The Academy works together with a diverse group of students and faculty to include entrepreneurship as a component in research and teaching portfolios, and has funded more than 45 courses. We strive to offer a broad base of workshops, lectures, and experiential learning programs that reach out to the campus and the community, including internships and business plan competitions that have involved hundreds of students and have impacted local firms.