Youth

Youth Entrepreneurship

 

In partnership with the Northern Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Program, Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund is working to foster Youth Entrepreneurship ideas and innovative ways of thinking in our First Nations youth. The programs offered can play a role in instilling a sense of entrepreneurship and business strategy within our youth, particularly important as preparation for active participation in further economic development in the area known as ‘Ring of Fire’.

Nish Biz Kids
 

Our youth entrepreneurship programs are facilitated in partnerships with community volunteers. A train the trainer approach is used hoping to expand regular programming throughout the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Create a Logo
 

A program targeting grades 4-6 elementary students, by offering in-service workshops to teachers. Students are encouraged to participate in a competition by identifying and naming a business opportunity that they believe could work in their community, region or province.

 

They are required to write a  paragraph describing what their business is about, design a logo that reflects their business and briefly explain the meaning of their logo.

 

Kids Invent Toys ®
 

Kids Invent Toys ® is an after school program or a day camp that lets kids create some wild new playthings. Developed at California State University, Fresno, Kids Invent Toys ® has children aged 9-12 make mock up toys, create new toys, advertise their toys, and have a lot of fun while learning about inventing and entrepreneurship.

 

Parents say Kids Invent Toys ® is the best program that their children have experienced. Kids have the freedom to be creative and work with their hands. They analyze a toy to get ideas for their own toys and create a marketing plan to make their toy invention the next big hit.

Market Your Thoughts
 

This competition is ideally suited for English Language Arts and/or social studies and meets specific curriculum outcomes at the intermediate level.

 

It is the intent of the Market Your Thoughts Competition to encourage intermediate students to creatively think about enterprising ventures and to pursue entrepreneurial thinking and action.  With the assistance of the teacher, we would like to identify, recognize, reward and support the talent and initiative of our enterprising young people.  We are therefore, challenging all grades 7 and 8 students to participate in the Market Your Thoughts Competition.

 

The competition will involve students identifying a business opportunity that they believe could work in the province of Ontario and writing an essay describing their business concept.  Students in Northern Ontario will have an opportunity to win money, prizes and have their winning essays published in the following edition of Market Your Thoughts. Teachers are provided a lesson plan that guides them through the activity as well as a Market Your Thoughts wall poster for their classroom.