Never early to start to work with balloons. Today we want to tell you the story of Javier Gallaga Jr, owner of Jays Party Shop. He has been doing balloons since the age of 16.

Last November, he initiated a balloon academy called Jay’s Balloon Academy (JBA). He wants to encourage students into partaking in a career in the balloon industry.

On June 15^th Jay’s party shop was invited to visit San Luis Middle School. The school asked Jay to be a guest speaker for 7^th and 8^th grade students ages 12-14 in their summer camp. The goal was to teach students about business development in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics):

• In science, the students learned about the process of extracting latex from a tree, the different solutions used to extend the life of the balloons and the shine.
• In terms of technology, the students were able to see the machines and the process of making balloons in Italy.
• For engineering, the students saw different structures that could be built from balloons.
• During the artistic part, the students were excited when they learned and saw a picture of the piece they were going to create.
• For the maths, Jay and his team explained the importance of calculating the amount of balloons used, the cost, etc. to have a successful business.

Then it was the students’ turn to try their hand at being balloon artists. They worked in groups and took turns regularly. The overall result was amazing! The students had a lot of fun with this activity, especially when they could admire their final work at the end of the workshop.

It was a remarkable, unforgettable moment for the students and teachers together. They lifted the moment with Gemar Balloons !

Who knows, maybe a new star in the balloon market will be born soon after this course.