How West Chicago students created a new Flav-Or-Ice flavor

A group of students from Wegner Elementary School in West Chicago recently teamed up with food manufacturer Jel Sert and Crayola to create a new, limited edition Flav-Or-Ice flavor, inspired by the return of the beloved Dandelion crayon.

“I feel proud of me and I can't wait to see it in the store,” said fourth-grader Lillian Lee, one of eight students who took part in the project.

The students visited a Jel Sert research and development lab, where they worked to create the new flavor.

Jel Sert was purposeful with choosing students from Wegner — the school is named after the Wegner family, which founded and still operates the company in West Chicago.

“We share such a meaningful connection, which made it a natural and inspiring choice for this collaboration,” said Amy Pagels, senior vice president of marketing at Jel Sert Company.

Pagels said one of the biggest challenges of the project was bringing elementary schoolchildren into a corporate environment.

“This was something we’d never done before,” she said. “But once they arrived, their energy, curiosity and excitement filled the room, and we knew immediately that we could create something truly special together.”

The students were introduced to Dan-D, a personified version of Crayola’s Dandelion crayon, and asked to imagine what he might taste like. From there, the kids suited up in lab coats, goggles and gloves to start creating the flavor.

Over the course of the day, and after much deliberation in the lab, the students found the right combination and created Banana Mango, perfectly personifying Dan-D.

“When they finally had the chance to taste the flavors they imagined, and combined them to create the all-new Banana Mango flavor, it was pure magic,” Pagels said.

When asked about the process of choosing the flavor and coming to an agreement, Lillian said, “We choose it as a team.

“And do you know what? I came up with the idea first,” she added.

Jel Sert is interested in creating a new tradition by involving kids in the process of creating flavors.

“We’re always exploring new ways to bring more fun and creativity to families through the Fla-Vor-Ice brand,” Pagels said.

As of July 8, the Fla-Vor-Ice Crayola product is available in a variety of flavors, including the new Banana Mango. Shoppers can find it at Amazon, Sam's Club and major retailers nationwide.