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Local first-graders sell pots to aid charity

"It was so much fun, because we did it all together."

When first grade teacher Michelle Albert realized that she would have her hands full with her energetic group at King George Public School, she began looking for an outlet for the young minds in her tutelage.

King George's principal, Julie Beaudoin, brought the Northeastern Region’s Entrepreneurial Adventure Showcase to Albert's attention. This event is a culmination of the national Entrepreneurial Adventure program that helps students develop entrepreneurial and other essential 21st century skills, such as communication, collaboration, public speaking, and the importance of social responsibility.  To-date, over 52 000 young entrepreneurs from across Canada have created more than 1500 successful ventures through this program, raising in excess of $2.9 million for charity, with the support of over 2000 teachers and more than 1500 business mentors.

The event, sponsored by BMO Financial Group, and featuring a keynote address from the Learning Partnership's Kelly Brown, was held at West Ferris Secondary School, and featured several local young entrepreneurship projects, including:  Sock Friends, Dream Catchers, Phone Holders, and Dog Biscuits.

While all of the projects were Shark Tank-worthy, the effort from the six- and seven-year-olds from King George garnered much attention.

"We were teamed up with a mentor, Bob Hudson, from Burrows Country Store & Garden Centre. We had to come up with a business plan, and we came up with hand-painted flower pots. We wrote a letter to secure an (interest-free) loan from our principal, and we bought our supplies and started painting," explained Albert.

The project began in February, and scores of hours, sometimes ten per week, were spent planning, painting, and marketing.

Albert relayed that "We made posters, decided how much to charge, and researched local charities. As a team, we decided that the Gathering Place would benefit from our sales. We made almost $300 selling pots at the King George street fair in April, that will be donated to the Gathering Place."

The whole class was involved in the project, and five deserving students were selected to attend Wednesday's showcase.

The most fervent salesman of those on hand, was Seth, who swayed this writer into purchasing one of his group's finely-appointed flower pots.

When asked what he enjoyed most about the project, Seth was initially torn between the actual painting of the pots, and the fact that the money raised went to charity, but then decided that "It was so much fun, because we did it all together."


Stu Campaigne

About the Author: Stu Campaigne

Stu Campaigne is a full-time news reporter for BayToday.ca, focusing on local politics and sharing our community's compelling human interest stories.
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