LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- After a semester of preparation, students at the Arthur J. Holland Middle School and their mentors from Rider University's College of Business Administration (CBA) and area businesses will face the final test of a new project aimed at helping children at the Trenton school realize their potential through creating and running their own business.

The student owned-and-operated businesses will be unveiled for public display and patronage at the first "Minding Our Business" Market Fair and Flea Market on Saturday, April 12, 1997. Market Fair, which will be held on the middle school grounds, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature regular flea market vendors as well as the student businesses.

"Minding Our Business" (MOB) is a community service/mentoring project initiated and directed by Rider University professor Dr. Sigfredo Hernandez. The program, implemented in January, involves 74 sixth and seventh graders at the Holland Middle School. The students have been grouped under mentoring teams consisting of University CBA students and local business leaders. The goal of these mentors has been to educate and develop entrepreneurial skills in these 11- and 12-year-olds, while at the same time educate Rider students on the management side of business.

Each group of ten students has developed a business plan and will present it to the MOB Advisory Board, consisting of distinguished area education and business leaders, on Wednesday, April 2, 1997 at the middle school. The board will grant loans up to $200 to each team's plan based on their presentation, which will be used to execute and manage their business.

All student businesses, which will offer real products and services, will open to the public at Market Fair.

The MOB program has received corporate sponsorship from CoreStates Bank, Comcast Cablevision, Summit Bank, and Roma Savings, and has also received donations of student snacks from Marriott Food Services, Nabisco, Priori's Delicatessen, and Tiger Distributors.

In addition, MOB has received a $5,000 grant from the MCJ Foundation to help support the program during the 1997-98 academic year.

For more information on the MOB program or Market Fair, or to reserve a table for a donation of $5 at the event, contact Dr. Hernandez at (609) 895-5509.