Paisley Carpenter and Addalyn Davis shake on a deal with Lake Park Elementary Assistant Principal Jessica Stanley, who chose to invest in their product, PA Massage.

LAKE PARK – Lake Park Elementary School fourth graders in Kimberly Cliett’s class were given a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurship skills by developing a unique product to present in a “Shark Tank”-style pitch.

Students were first assigned to brainstorm the invention or innovation they felt could earn them a business deal, which was a task within itself, school officials said in a statement.

When they felt stumped making their selection, Cliett told them to “think of an everyday problem and how to solve it.”

This thought process helped project partners Paisley Carpenter and Addalyn Davis, co-creators of PA Massage, a comfortable, supportive shoe insert made special for students who walk around school all day, like themselves.

“We walk around school all day and our feet get sore,” Paisley said. “I would definitely wear PA Massage.”

“I think our product would sell because we thought about the needs of ourselves and other people, too,” Addalyn added.

Some of the other proposed inventions and innovations were The Spreader 2.0, a butter knife with peanut butter and jelly built-in for a mess-free sandwich, Stuffed Surprise, a stuffed bear with unique prizes inside; The Lunchbox Plus, a lunchbox that has a temperature sensor, and The Non-Tip Backpack, a backpack that levels itself in any position so even a drink kept inside would not spill, school officials said.

Once approved, their ideas were put to the test. Each pair created a prototype, along with a budget, a creative advertisement and even a catchy slogan.

When their products and business plans were perfected, they worked on creating a persuasive speech in hopes of winning over the “sharks,” a team made up of school leaders who would judge their pitches and potentially “invest” in the products.

“We talked about elevator pitches and even watched some ‘Shark Tank’ episodes so the students could take notes on how the presenters introduced themselves,” Cliett explained.

Students studied business vocabulary and processes that many don’t learn until college, like the steps to become an entrepreneur and how to make a profit.

Jesslyn Rentz and Louisa Olalde, co-creators of Stuffed Surprise, said they learned a great deal about budgeting.

“We thought it would cost a lot less to make our product before we started researching,” Luisa said. “This helped us figure out what price we had to sell Stuffed Surprise for to make a profit,” Jesslyn added.

The sharks were impressed with the creativity and work put into each pitch, earning each pair of business partners a deal from the panel.

Cliett said she is not only proud of their presentations but also of their takeaways.

“I want my students to feel confident in what they create,” she said. “Being able to back up your ideas with trial and research as a fourth grader is powerful.”