Wright State MBA students raise over $1,000 for Aullwood R.E.A.D.S.

MBA students in Aullwood’s new Charity A. Krueger Farm Discovery Center: (from left) Matt Reed, Cheryl Reed, Sarah McClain, Devon Banks, Andrew Bollinger, Rene Jewett; not pictured Cheryl McKinley.

A working farm isn’t your typical college classroom. But for a team of Wright State University MBA students, Aullwood Farm was their classroom for a day.

The students are required to execute a project from start to finish for their Project Management and Control Techniques course. By selling beverages and cookies at Aullwood’s Farm Babies Fest, the team was able to donate $1,068 to Aullwood R.E.A.D.S.

“The event was a total success for us,” said student Rene Jewett. “It was very rewarding to be able to donate that much money.”

Aullwood R.E.A.D.S. (Resources of Earth and Agriculture Discovered and Shared) is a collaborative program between a local school and Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm. The program helps second and third graders experiencing reading difficulties by integrating experiences in nature and agriculture with reading and writing skills. The Wright State students chose to support this initiative because they know the importance of reading in education.

Booth proceeds were more than three times the amount raised at the festival in previous years. “By soliciting donations, our group was able to increase profits,” Jewett added. Their sponsors included Liberty Savings Bank, First Financial Bank, Kindred Funeral Home of Englewood and an anonymous donor. Adding baked goods also increased sales.