A new program on the Eastside wants to teach your child the fun side of business.

BusinessKids is an extracurricular program geared to children ages 4 to 13 years old. The program aims to help youth develop entrepreneurial skills and put those skills into action through activities, games and interactive classes.

Alejandra Barroso is one of the three people bringing BusinessKids to the Eastside. Created in 2015, the program was originally started in Barroso’s native Mexico. She said BusinessKids Seattle, as it is billed locally, is the first incarnation of the program in the U.S. It is based out of Sammamish.

BusinessKids began holding two of its programs in Sammamish in September and will hold two more in January.

Barroso said she decided to bring the program to the area after meeting the BusinessKids’ founder, Mari Carmen Cabrera, in Mexico.

“It’s a very fun way to introduce children to the business world,” she said, adding that the program is planning to expand to Bellevue next year. It is also targeting expansion to Issaquah and Redmond.

Barroso said BusinessKids teaches business to children through two primary courses: its standard program and its thematic workshops. The standard program is divided into four 20-hour modules that cover topics such as learning business concepts, developing business ideas, creating your own business and starting your own business.

The thematic workshops focus on a particular business field and teach the basic skills related to that field over a 16-hour course. Workshops include “I’m a Chef,” “I’m a Party Planner” and “I’m an Artist.”

The programs are offered after school, on Saturdays or during school breaks.

Barroso said while BusinessKids aims to teach children how to become entrepreneurs, it also emphasizes developing self-esteem, self-confidence and personal and emotional strength.

“It’s not only about earning money. It’s also about helping children to improve their personal skills and their life skills so when they grow up, they can be more secure adults and decide what they want to do,” she said. “Even if they are not entrepreneurs when they grow up, the skills and knowledge they [develop] can work in any company.”

In early 2017, a BusinessKids course blending the models taught in its standard program will run Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 17 through March 21 at the Sammamish Boys and Girls Club Teen Center.

BusinessKids will also hold its thematic workshop “I’m a Chef” in Sammamish on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. Jan. 28 through Feb. 18. Barroso said a location is still being arranged.

For more, visit BusinessKids online at www.businesskidsusa.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BusinessKidsSeattle/.