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Junior Achievement takes on life of it’s own
Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susan Clovechok started delivering Junior Achievement of BC (JABC) business programs in the spring of 2015.
The program was so much fun that in October 2015 she and Ms. Alyssan Gauthier, Grade 5 teacher at JA Laird Elementary School agreed to work together on the Business Basics – A Business of Our Own for the 2015/16 school year.
Amy Robillard of Junior Achievement of BC (JABC) supported Alyssan and Susan by providing the course training, course materials and most of all encouragement to empower the students in truly creating a Business of their Own.
The students have learned about business planning, marketing and promotions, financial record keeping, pricing and sales. Their learning has touched all the aspects of their curriculum. They had to create the art, prepare their business plan, work in teams, recognize each other’s strength, work as a team, get a printing quote, create a budget, make a financial decision about how many cards to order, write letters asking businesses to retail their cards and this month they are getting ready to launch their business starting with an exhibit at Art from the Heart.
– March 29 – April 16 – Art from the Heart Exhibit (our canvas paintings will be displayed at Pynelogs Art Gallery, alongside student art from the entire school zone) open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
– April 9 – Opening reception at Pynelogs Cultural Centre 5:30-8 p.m. – We hope to set up a booth to sell our Art by Kids Art Cards ($9.99 for a package of three cards.)
– By April 15 – our Art Cards will be selling in Invermere local businesses (current confirmed partners: BlackStar Art Studios, The Invermere Bakery, Invermere Home Hardware, AG Valley Foods, Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce Visitor Info Centre).
– April 25 – 28 – Art by Kids Silent Art Auction at J. Alfred Laird Elementary School (this is how they’ll sell the original canvas pieces) The chamber is honoured to be a consultant on this project and working with these young entrepreneurs is truly inspiring. All the decisions are made by the students; Alyssan & Susan merely offer guidance and options the work and the decisions are all being made by the students. Other partners included in the business are Palliser Printing and CV Arts. The profits from their business will go to fund their loan program (Building Beginnings Microcredit Loan Project) which Ms. Gauthier’s class started in 2014.
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