The participation of local businesses will be crucial for the success of a new entrepreneurship course for high school students this fall.
The course is called YELL, which stands for Young Entrepreneur Leadership Launchpad, and will be offered by the Sea to Sky School District.
The plan is to have it run at Howe Sound Secondary, but students from Whistler and Pemberton will also be able to take the four-credit course. There will be 30 spots in all.
“In Sea to Sky, it’s going to happen once a week after school,” said executive director David Cameron.
YELL started in cooperation with the local school district, as well as Squamish’s Karen Elliott and Sean Lumb, who will act as liaisons with the local business community.
The program starts with introduction to entrepreneurship and business in the classroom setting with local entrepreneurs taking part.
“We need champions in the business community,” Cameron said. “Every week we bring in a local guest speaker…. They’re able to share their story.”
A second phase, the “idea incubator,” involves having the students work in teams on a business idea. The students have to work on a concept and find ways to validate it as a business. Again, the plan is for local business people to help guide the students.
“We match them with a mentor from the community,” he said.
As well as the Sea to Sky Corridor, YELL is also being introduced in two other school districts, Burnaby and Vancouver. The program started in West Vancouver, then expanded to Richmond and Coquitlam.
Eventually, YELL students present their ideas during a final phase, the “venture challenge,” to test the best business ideas. Cameron also says there is an emphasis on global matters such as water, food, energy and the environment.
Sam Park and Jack Campbell, both Grade 12 students from North Vancouver, took part in the program in West Vancouver last year when they were in Grade 11.
The program seemed like a natural fit for their interests.
“Your curiosity drives your knowledge,” said Park.
They then started working on a mobile app, with the idea it could be used for the Canadian Alzheimer’s Society.
The two have moved on to a plan for a digital marketing company to look at ways for social marketing companies, in particular, to use campaigns to grow their business, although they say that “pivoting,” or being able to adjust your plans, is part of the process of working on an idea.
Already, they have been in touch with more than 25 companies about their latest idea.
“We’ll probably end up doing that,” Campbell said.
