Students show off entrepreneurial skills

About 80 students showed off their entrepreneurial skills June 4 at the 13th Annual Northern Ontario Visions Project Tradeshow at the Southridge Mall.

The show was presented by Rainbow District School Board, the Learning Initiative and the Regional Business Centre.

Tradeshow participants were vying for a number of awards - Best Business Plan, Best Product, Best Service and Best Presentation. The young entrepreneurs also voted amongst themselves for who should receive the coveted Young Entrepreneur Award.

A panel of judges from the business community evaluated the displays. As part of the evaluation, judges looked at how effectively students presented their products and/or services.

"The Northern Ontario Visions Project Tradeshow gave students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 an opportunity to experience what it's like to be an entrepreneur by creating and running a business," said Ron Hodkinson, chair of the Visions Committee, that organizes the annual event on behalf of Rainbow District School Board, in a release.

"Students developed and implemented business plans," he added.  "In the process, they learned all about marketing, including products, pricing, placement and promotion."

The tradeshow was the culminating event for students who have completed entrepreneurship units or participated in school fairs.

The tradeshow provides an authentic learning experience for students, bringing the classroom curriculum to life in a dynamic way. Students learn about math through sales taxes, discounts and financial statements. They also create graphs as part of their market research.

From a language perspective, students gain oral and written communications skills by speaking with the public, selling their products and services, creating professional business plans, and developing business cards, websites, brochures and other promotional material. Students also get to hone their artistic skills by creating visually pleasing displays that will attract customers.

Comprised of representatives from business and industry, the Visions Steering Committee was formed in 1996 to develop an entrepreneurship unit for teachers and students in Rainbow Schools.

The winners were:

Best Business Plan

1st place – G2G
Connor Barr, Grade 8, MacLeod Public School

2nd place – Yellow Brick Bath
Leah Tessier, Kayla Huchenski and Erica Conlin, Grade 8, Copper Cliff Public School

3rd place – Green Chic
Maggie Sheehan, Indigo Clement and Amelia Crichton, Grade 8, Copper Cliff Public School

Best Product

1st place - Zeecoon
Katie Falardeau, Grade 8, Churchill Public School

2nd place – Jean Machine
Liberty Michie and Katie Uttley, Grade 7, Carl A. Nesbitt Public School

3rd place - Mandles
Sean Grech and Matthew King, Grade 7, Copper Cliff Public School

Best Service

1st place – Green Cow
Andrew Denniston and Nick Taylor, Grade 7, Algonquin Public School

2nd place – Maze Music Studios
Collin Donaldson and Dylan Kelly-Dicaire, Grade 8, R.L. Beattie Public School

3rd place – G2G
Connor Barr, Grade 8, MacLeod Public School

Best Presentation

1st place – Skill Wear
Austin Hodkinson and Joshua Sutton, Grade 8, R.L. Beattie Public School

2nd place – Beads R Us
Katie Spry, Keiana Clement and Jenna Fortunato, Grade 7, Copper Cliff Public School

3rd place – Green Chic
Maggie Sheehan, Indigo Clement and Amelia Crichton, Grade 8, Copper Cliff Public School

Young Entrepreneur Award

1st place – Yellow Brick Bath
Leah Tessier, Kayla Huchenski and Erica Conlin, Grade 8, Copper Cliff Public School

2nd place – Smiles for Life
Andraya Zannibbi and Morgan Ham, Grade 7, Algonquin Public School
      
3rd place - Zeecoon
Katie Falardeau, Grade 8, Churchill Public School