Help creating a starter kit

I am hoping in the next year or 2 to start a very small scale breeding project. I want my daughters to experience a breeding from the ground up. I hope to involve some of their friends as well. The plan would be to have anyone who wants to help/be involved in this will hopefully end up with their own pet at no charge.

Since I have a bit of time until my I start, I wanted to begin putting together all necessary supplies during this period so that I can spread the cost out.

So what do you recommend as the mandatory items that must be part of any breeding program - no matter how small?

What items do you consider optional?

And lastly what items should be avoided as they are dangerous to the snakes or simply just all hype and no use.

I appreciate all the help you can provide me. The better my prep work the more likely I will help to create some new herpers.

You will need:

A setup of some kind, racks are preferrable if space is an issue, that includes a heat source and a way to control it (thermostat), a place for water, a hide for each animal, and substrate.

Food

Animals Male and female would be good. More females than males is also good.

Time, care and willingness to clean and tend to these animals for 20+ years.



Optional:

Morph animals


Do not use:

Heat Rocks

Cedar as substrate

Sick food sources

Great starting point.

I was hoping for more specific advice about products that work and those to avoid. I want to learn from your experience so that my project for my daughters and their friends who are elementary age doesn't go wrong.

I realize I am asking for secrets. I only want the ones that are common knowledge. I'm not looking for anything protected. Just the ability to make a school project successful. Yes I know this will be a project that covers more than one school year.

If truth be told, I'm recently let go from my job of 14 years and not sure what is next. I figured this would be a good way to involve family and friends in what I feel is an incredible area of the animal kingdom that gets overlook too much.

Please give as much information as you feel comfortable to help a new herper expansion project. Granted very small goals at this point but still a goal.

P.S: The goal is to care for all project animals for their entire life. Whether by myself or our newly educated project companions.