Students at the KCDSB are proving that being exposed to the world of business, at an early age, is a great way to gain real-life skills for the future. Approximately 100 students from grades 4 - 6 from Pope John Paul II School, École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys and St. Louis School displayed four businesses at the Learning Partnership's Entrepreneur Adventure Showcase at the Clarion on May 3rd.
Businesses ranged from selling rustic wooden signs, bath bombs, slime and healthy snacks to the creation of the Boreal Essential Outdoor Survival Guide and the essential skin salve.
Tammy Bush, Early Years Lead talks about the experience for the students.
"Creating their businesses and working together gives students an authentic glimpse into what it's like to run a business. They learn how to create their own business through all the pitfalls, challenges and rewards of being a business owner. The part I like the best is that they also get to research different charities and donate the profits of their business to charity."
The Entrepreneur Adventure Showcase is the culmination of The Learning Partnership's Entrepreneur Adventure program that helps students develop entrepreneurial and other essential 21st century skills, such as communication, collaboration, public speaking and presentation skills, marketing, business planning and the importance of social responsibility. Together with teachers and volunteer business mentors, students develop innovative business ventures that raise money for local and national charities. Thank you to the Learning Partnership, BMO and the business mentors: Jade Lorimer from Tangled Tree Framing and Gifts, Heather Gropp, Tourism Developer Officer for the City of Kenora and Val Williams, Manager at BMO Kenora.
Here is what some of our entrepreneur's had to say:
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Chloe is showing the skin salve that students from St. Louis School made as part of the Boreal Essentials business. The salves are made with balsam. In her interview, she shares that one of the things she learned is it's not that easy to run a business.
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Darian a grade 6 student from St. Louis School was part of the Boreal Essentials business. He's proudly showing the Boreal Essential's Outdoor Survival Guide. He shared that the best tip in the survival guide is how to start a fire.
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Ella a student from École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys was part of the Le Group Gouter (The Snack Crew). She talks about how much she likes ‘convincing' people to purchase her team's treats in this interview.
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Jack, Rayah and Rylee from Pope John Paul II School are showing the three different signs that they have for sale. In this interview, Rayah talks about the problem her team had to overcome in their business.
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Sarah a grade 5 student from École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys talks about a sticky situation when her team first started making brownie waffles.
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