How do you cure poverty? Leave it to a group of folks in one of the poorest counties in the US to find a simply sweet solution.

Halfway across the US in San Juan County - a beautiful albeit remote and vast county in an area known as Four Corners - 40% of the population lives below poverty level and the unemployment rate is nearly as high. Finding sources of money for daily living is hard enough, let alone for any special activities or investments that, to the residents, might be considered treats or luxuries. Faced with those odds, most folks might just give up and tell themselves, "What's the point? I can't do anything about it anyway."

That wasn't the response from a group of folks who took a suggestion from a local Americorps volunteer that they start a business to heart a few years ago. After a bit of brainstorming, research, and product development, they put their ideas into action with an "we can" attitude. Their venture experienced profitability in its first year - a rare occurence for business start-ups, and has seen increasing sales ever since. They anticipate earning profits of $20,000 this year, doubling their success from the previous year.

Doesn't sound like much for a year's work? It is if you're between the ages of 8 and 18, the age-range of the Ute and Navajo Nation kids who founded and continue to hold principal managerial and board positions, make key decisions and set policy for Lickity Split Chocolate Studio, LLC, a profit-making company.

The kids, who had to ask their parents to become the legal owners of the corporation, work under a minimal amount of adult guidance and supervision. Their business meetings are held on Saturdays. They receive business training and support from the Small Business Development Center. Since the youth are not allowed to participate in the chocolate business without a sustainable grade point average of at least 2.5, the VISTA members and community volunteers tutor them in their school studies. Thanks to a VISTA supported program called Utah Tech Corp, each Lickity Split youth was given a computer to help with their schoolwork. Tutoring takes place two days per week and the children are excelling as much in their studies are they are in their business.

The idea and technology took some time to develop, but once the group discovered a way to make inexpensive yet unique chocolate molds, the customers quickly appeared. In 2005, the youth and their AmeriCorp VISTA coach completed a $3,000 order for a large Utah utility association. The customer was delighted with the chocolate and, thanks to the strong support of Senator Bob Bennett, the future brightened for this tiny business enterprise. With a business contact made at Utah’s Rural Economic Development Conference sponsored by Senator Bennett, Lickity Split received recognition as an emerging small rural business.

Today, Lickity Split operates with sponsorship from a non-profit educational foundation, San Juan Foundation. The best part of Lickity Split, however, is the development the youth have shown. They are highly motivated to make this business succeed and in the process they have become competent business professionals. They create new products, make customer contacts, conduct staff meetings, attend trade shows and even balance the company books. Ask any one of them what goes into pricing a product and they will calculate the cost of labor, materials and overhead for you. The company owners are being taught to fully operate the business after a yearlong mentoring process.

As second-year VISTA member Elaine Bland says, "It’s great to look back a year and see these kids who spent hours watching TV and playing computer games now working up a strategic business plan, conducting staff meetings, developing a website and meeting with top business and government officials."

A major contract with a billion dollar corporation resulted with the expectation that Lickity Split would double in sales starting with the 2005 holiday season and continue to expand by breaking into a national, and perhaps worldwide market. Could the kids pull it off? "Of course we can we are only limited by our imagination," says 14-year old Lickity Split CEO, Andrew Dayish who is already recruiting new youthful talent to brace for the anticipated growth.

A quest for spending money to see a movie turned into a successful and thriving business venture in a county where Native-owned business enterprises consist of less than 1 percent of the established commercial industry inventory, yet the Native population is greater than 50 percent. Lickity Split Chocolate Studio offers hope that the future success of these young entrepreneurs and the prosperity of San Juan County will be shaped by the industriousness shown by these youngsters and the continuing success of this unusual chocolate factory.