By Mackenzie Ford, Gustavson co-op student.
One of the first encounters with entrepreneurship that many of us experienced in our early years was when running a lemonade stand—the excitement of gathering your neighbourhood friends on a hot summer day, waiting patiently for a passerby to purchase a cup of your well-crafted “home-made” recipe. If you can remember how much fun you had selling a few cups to your neighbours, can you imagine how exciting it would be for youth to sell an original product to the entire Greater Victoria community?
That’s the thought behind Kidovate Victoria—a fun, free, hands-on youth entrepreneurship initiative that aims to develop core business skills, ingrain the concept of corporate social responsibility and instill an entrepreneurial spirit in middle and high school-age youth, by helping them create their own micro venture.
Developed by Dr. Brock Smith, Entrepreneurship Area Champion at Gustavson, the initiative encourages youth to make a product of their choice to sell at a Kidovate market hosted by local malls on Saturday, May 25th. Youth are aided by having access to a graphic novel workbook that helps them think through key micro business decisions, by having access to UVic student mentors, and access to discount coupons from local retailers. There is also a learning resource guide for educators, youth group leaders and engaged parents.
The possibilities are endless; students are encouraged to create anything from home baked goods, to more complex products or even services. Customers from the community will visit the Kidovate market stalls, ensuring that the youths’ entrepreneurial efforts are rewarded, reinforcing the value of ingenuity and ultimately fostering economic resilience.
“An entrepreneurial mindset provides youth with the skills to adapt to a changing world, and helps them learn to take initiative, meet challenges, and become financially independent architects of their own future” says Dr. Brock Smith. “If we want the next generation to be equipped to tackle the challenges our society faces in the future, we need more people to learn how to be change agents.”
Dr. Smith believes that there is no better way to prepare youth for their future than by connecting learning with real life experience. One example of this is the Kidovate graphic novel that explains entrepreneurship through engaging visuals and storytelling. In tandem, a mentorship network is provided to offer support and guidance to youth throughout the creation of their micro venture.
“I know a lot of people love learning but they hate school,” stated Simon Litt, 4th year Gustavson student and Kidovate team member. “[Kidovate] can teach people that although they may not feel successful or driven to get an A on a paper, they can find success here in a way that interests them.”
Through the workbook and online activities, youth also learn about the concept of corporate social responsibility and are encouraged to pledge a percentage of their profits to support a local charity of their choice.
Dr. Smith says that ultimately, he hopes that Kidovate will provide a platform for youth to “have fun, begin learning business and entrepreneurship skills, and put some money into their own pockets as a reward for their value creation efforts.”
Visit the Kidovate website to learn more about the initiative.
