Ole-Monade and Other Summery Spanish Stories

As much as lemonade stands are a part of American adolescent entrepreneurialism, they’re equally as far from the norm for young Spaniards.

And so the setup was a culture shock for both the kids attempting to sell the summer refreshment, and for Americanos unaccustomed to dropping what little cash they actually keep in their wallets on cups of raspberry lemonade – even if they're fresh-squeezed.

But that’s exactly what went down on Wednesday, when two teams of students from Madrid tried selling “Ole-Monade” to locals as part of their exchange program with Native Lengua.

“It’s going … OK,” said David Conner, a program organizer, as the ice melted and students scattered across Emerson Field.

But OK was about as well as expected. The point, after all, was for the kids to run a lemonade stand, not make money doing it. The idea was for the students to do something outside of their comfort zones, and acting as lemonade salesmen – even if they repackaged the product as “ole-monade”—achieved that.

The entrepreneurial exercise was one of many incorporated into the Native Lengua program, though which more than a dozen students from in or around Madrid travelled to Concord to learn English and immerse themselves in American culture.

Now in its second year, Native Lengua is a cultural and educational exchange program that connects teens from Spain with local families, and which could eventually forge connections both ways.

Equal parts cultural and educational, Native Lengua looks to immerse participants in the culture by placing them with local host families and offering language courses and engaging cultural experiences.

The year’s current crop of exchange students is wrapping up it’s time here, but you can watch the videos above to hear about the program in their own words, or the words of program administrators. Or you can check out the website for more information.