Entrepreneurship program at school offers mentoring, summer jobs

While timetabling is a challenge for a small high school like Amiskwaciy Academy, new principal Fred Hines said the payout is worth the effort.

“I definitely see a change in the students. They express themselves very well, more articulate, confidence-building,” said Hines, who will be training a second teacher this fall to be able to offer the Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship program in Grade 12.

The AYEP was offered in both semesters this past year to Grade 11 students, with eight taking advantage of the unique opportunity to learn from mentors in the business world. Hines wants Grade 12 students to be able to enroll in AYEP in the 2011-2012 school year.

 “We’re being very creative with how we try to timetable the Paul Martin course so students don’t have a conflict with their core subjects,” said Hines.

AYEP is one of four programs offered through the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative.

“One of the things they have discovered is … a kid won’t drop out of school if he or she learns that staying in school can give them a better job,” said former Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin.

Martin and his family started the MAEI when Martin left politics in 2006.

One of the advantages of AYEP, said Hines, is it can lead to summer jobs for students, along with the ability to plan their own businesses.

Amiskwaciy Academy, which joined the project in 2009, is one of nine schools in six provinces to pilot AYEP, which helps develop in students the attitude, skills and knowledge to give them success at the high school level and encourages them to pursue higher education. Part of the encouragement comes through direct mentorship with operating businesses.

At Amiskwaciy Academy, students work with mentors through three main community partners, the Sawridge Group of Companies, Royal Bank and business students at MacEwan University.

“Young university students working with our high school students really breaks the learning barriers,” said Hines.
Sawridge Group has also provided Amiskwaciy Academy with financial support, while Royal Bank allows students to job shadow.

The program has been delivered by adapting existing textbooks to meet Aboriginal needs. But last year, two MAEI teachers focused solely on writing the program’s own textbook.

“We’ve written what we believe to be the first textbooks on how to do business by Aboriginals for Aboriginals anywhere in the world,” said Martin.

Amiskwaciy Academy will be going a step further in adapting the program to meet the needs of the school and students, many of whom are transient.

“I really want to make sure we put an Aboriginal flare to it, bring an Aboriginal perspective to the business end of it,” said Hines.

At the end of the semester, the students present their business plans in a sales pitch to a panel of judges.
“It’s an opportunity for them to develop their business skills and develop a business. Some kids continue with businesses afterward,” said Hines, “There’s certainly some potential spinoff for summer jobs for the kids.”

In the new school year, Hines said the school’s AYEP teacher will be setting up conference calls with the other schools across the country that offer the program and will work together where they can.