An exciting new program was launched to help young people develop entrepreneurial skills that would teach them to create, build, and launch their own business ideas.
Peace Region Future Founders is a Community Futures Peace Country initiative in partnership with Northern Sunrise County, the Town of Peace River, Sunstone Strategic and Heart & Soul Photography. The program is designed to provide a hands-on summer entrepreneurship program for youth ages 12 to 18. The participants learned how to develop business ideas, build a brand, create marketing materials, understand budgeting and pricing, plan and launch a product or service, and sell at a real community market.
“It started after a conversation with Amy of Heart & Soul while we were assisting her with a Youth Entrepreneurship Market she was hosting last October,” says Community Futures Peace Country General Manager Sherry Crawford. “After hosting Lemonade Day for the past four years, we noticed not a lot of youth over the ages of 12 were participating, so we wanted to create a program geared toward older youth.”
Crawford explained through the program, youth worked alongside local entrepreneurs, mentors, and community partners while building confidence, creativity, and business skills.
“The participants of the Peace Region Future Founders learned a lot about running their own business which gave them a good knowledge base of confidence to pursue their business dreams,” says Crawford. “All the youth received a Playbook to work on their businesses which included information on writing a business plan, marketing, budgeting and customer service. We also had local youth entrepreneurs Rylynn and Tayler of Lemon- ology present to the group about their business experiences.”
Crawford says communities continue to survive through economic development endeavors, and kids are the future of the communities. She says the participants will be launching their businesses at Harvest Moon Festival in Grimshaw from Sept. 12.
“It is the perfect first opportunity for them to launch at the Harvest Moon Festival as that organization was already introducing a Youth Entrepreneur Market on the Friday evening of their event,” says Crawford. “We still have one more wrap up session to reflect on the program, the successes, challenges and what we could do betterso I think it’s still too early to say if we will offer it next year or not. But in my opinion, with the interest we had from the youth this year and the amazing partners involved, I would hope we do continue.”
Crawford says Northern Sunrise County and the Town of Peace River sponsored the majority of the program, with Community Futures filling in some of the funding gaps. If the program is continued next year, the group will look at securing sponsorship.
“Considering this was the first year running the program, I think we all learned a lot about what worked and perhaps what didn’t, but I think the advantage we will have next year is a good foundation to build on,” Crawford notes. “With all projects of this type, things grow and evolve.”
Crawford says that they have been very impressed with the young entrepreneurs through this first year.
“We are all so amazed at this cohort of young entrepreneurs,” she adds. “Their business ideas, their insights and goals and their willingness to learn and work together were impressive. Very thoughtful and respectful group of young people that make me feel positive about the future of the Peace Region.”
If you would like to see all the amazing business started by the youth of Future Founders, visit the Community Futures Peace Country Facebook page.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter