Entrepreneurship

STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Goal areas

• Skills Development

MULGRAVE CENTRE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS AND CHANGEMAKERS (MCEC)

The MCEC is a structured programme, within and outside school hours, for students with an interest in starting or further developing businesses and social enterprises that will create positive change in our world.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ELECTIVES

In Young Investors Society, they learned about the stock market, setting longterm investment goals, and valuing a company using a simulation model. Everyone received fictitious funds and as they determined investments, they reflected on their personal values and incorporated them into valuation strategies. Parent volunteers generously shared knowledge and expertise to enrich the student experience.

The Introduction to Entrepreneurship LEAP elective is a scaled back version of YELL. Students worked in groups to ideate on business concepts, and each team worked with a parent mentor every few weeks. The elective ran for three months, which provided enough time for the development of a business plan and significant market research.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LEADERSHIP LAUNCHPAD (YELL)

2021-22 was the second year of our flagship course in partnership with YELL Canada, a non-profit organisation fostering entrepreneurial minds and skillsets. Grade 10 and 11 students meet once a week after school for a lesson on everything from developing a startup plan to how to hone a Dragon’s Den-style pitch. That’s followed by a guest speaker who provides context for the learning by drawing on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

The course culminates in a group project in which students are paired with a mentor to build an innovative venture concept from the ground up, showcasing their collaborative and critical thinking skills. They pitch the merits of their solution in a multi-province competition at the end of the year.

Following a Mulgrave team win at the YELL Venture Challenge in 202021, in our first year of programming, students in the 2021-22 programme had just as much success. Three Mulgrave teams won YELL awards, with Ruby (biodegradable and plastic-free tampon) being awarded first place in the 2022 Venture Challenge, beating out 60 other teams from across BC and Alberta.

YELL helped understand target markets, competitor analysis, and the finance side of things… With a better understanding of these concepts, and with the help of my teacher and mentor, I launched Solis Beads. I sell handmade jewellery and bookmarks while giving back to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ organisation fighting for equality.”

- Lialah Mavani

Grade 12

REAL WORLD EXPERTISE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Knowing that our students have an inclination toward innovative thinking, it should come as no surprise that our Young Entrepreneurship and Leadership Launchpad (YELL) course, led by Ian Mak, has been thriving throughout the past two years.

Parents, friends, and colleagues give our students a chance to connect their theoretical understanding to real world applications. It becomes more impactful for students to hear from those who have had hands-on experience bringing a business to life. Our guests bring the emotion - the successes and failures - to the table, and students engage with that a lot more, leading them to ask deeper and more thoughtful questions. This case-study curriculum becomes more dynamic and inquiry-based, making the learning a lot more authentic, whether we are discussing customer personas or marketing strategies.”

- Ian Mak

Head of Entrepreneurial Programming

We are thankful to our community for supporting our students’ learning, both financially and with their time.