WEST MILFORD The Paradise Knoll PTA of West Milford Township won the Champion for Children Award for the development of TREP$, an innovative afterschool program that teaches kids how to start a business. The award is given by the New Jersey PTA to honor a local unit that has demonstrated creativity and success through a new or expanded program. Fifty students from Paradise Knoll School participated in the pilot of the TREP$ program earlier this year. Through a series of engaging after school workshops, the classroom took on a professional environment as students were exposed to topics like product development, finance, marketing, advertising, and sales. The program culminated with a TREP$ Marketplace where the students, ages 9-12, had the opportunity to apply all that they had learned by actually launching their own businesses in a flea market-style event open to the public. West Milford Board of Education President, Midge Touw recently commented on the success of the program. “Having attended the TREP$ Marketplace, I can truly say the award is well deserved. The students were so positive and proud to explain their products. It was obvious by the end of the evening with almost everything sold out, or on order, that TREP$ and the Paradise Knoll PTA were indeed Champions for Children.” Board Trustee Wayne Gottlieb echoed her comments. “It was apparent at the Marketplace that TREP$ is a valuable means to bring students, parents and the community together around projects that engage and challenge our young people to apply their academic and social skills to the real world beyond the schoolhouse,” Gottlieb added. TREP$ was created by Pamela deWaal and Hayley Romano, both PTA volunteers and certified teachers. The duo was on hand at the recent New Jersey PTA Convention in Atlantic City to accept the award on behalf of the Paradise Knoll PTA. In addition to recognition at the awards banquet, deWaal and Romano impressed the convention attendees by showing a DVD highlighting the benefits of the program and spotlighting a few of the participants. The DVD will be presented again at a board of education meeting in January. Following the TREP$ Marketplace this past March, several inquiries were received as to how neighboring schools could offer the program. The overwhelming response combined with an entrepreneurial spirit of their own has led deWaal and Romano to form a business, Reality ED, LLC, which will be offering TREP$ in the form of an easy-to-use, affordable kit. Interested schools, teachers, parents or students should visit www.trepsed.com for more information and to request a free copy of the TREP$ DVD.