Building a business

St. John Kakegamic is looking to graphic design for his future, specifically to make posters for events or any use people might need.

For now, it’s just a school project for the Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School student’s Grade 11 business class. But it could turn into the real deal by the end of Grade 12.

The entrepreneurship program is part of the Paul Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative, where the students receive $500 in seed money to start a micro business; they need to develop a prototype by the end of Grade 12.

This year, the students have some help in the form of six Lakehead University business students. Approached by the Paul Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative, the university’s Students in Free Enterprise team are now acting as mentors to the DFC students.

"What we try to do with our team is create economic opportunity and financial awareness as well as other educational awareness at the same time," said project manager Madora Day. "So we thought this (mentor program) would be a perfect project for us."

Day and her five team members visit the school every Friday during the entrepreneur class to offer their expertise while the students try to build their businesses.

"They’re giving us extra details on what to do if we ever go into that type of field," Kakegamic said, adding the guidance from the LU students has been a big help.

Day said that while the DFC students have been learning from their experiences, it has also worked the other way around.

"It’s helpful to be able to use our knowledge to help other people," she said. "Both sides are learning from each other. They’ve come up with things we haven’t even thought of."

Along with Kakegamic’s poster business, some of the students are working on projects like building a hockey school in one student’s hometown, producing baby clothes like mittens and moccasins and there’s even an idea for a cake-making business.

"It’s really great what I’ve heard," Day said. "We’re just a couple of years older than them really, so both sides are shy at the beginning, but now we’re really starting to be able to communicate with the students really well."