Store featuring student-designed products opens in Dunmore

Clayton Lehr is one of the students involved with the program. He made coat hangers out of horseshoes , and propane tanks customer designed to look like animals, including pigs, cats and dogs.

“We saw that there were unused supplies within a garage, me and a buddy, and then we decided to handcraft all sorts of different items actually,” the Grade 12 student said. “We made them personally for our mothers to start as a Mother’s Day gift, and then they blossomed into many other things.”

Lehr says between sourcing materials and construction, it takes several hours to create his items, but seeing them for sale at the store made the work worth it.

“A lot of people have enjoyed our products,” he said. “From them enjoying it, it just blossomed into more products as it goes.”

Earlier this year, Eagle Butte High School launched a Back to Business Class, which has 14 students. They developed business plans, designed and created products and are now able to sell them for profit.

Jessica Hunt, a Grade 11 student, made magnets and wooden signs for sale in the store.

“I’m so proud, it’s unimaginable to even see my product being sold in a store,” she said. “It’s crazy to even have this opportunity. It’s a great opportunity to have.”

Jason Duchscherer, vice-principal of Eagle Butte High School, ran the business course. He said the students put in a lot of work to help get the store off the ground.

“Someone had asked ‘what’s my biggest surprise?’ and I said, for students aged 15-18 years old to really be running a business,” he said. “Because I’m just guiding, they’re really doing all of the work.”

Both Hunt and Lehr say the class gave them skills that will assist them if they plan to pursue running their own businesses once they graduate.

“I’ve learned responsibility, I’ve learned how to operate a laser engraver, which is so cool to be able to learn such a skill,” said Hunt. “I’ve learned business, marketing, responsibility, owning a business.”

“The biggest thing I’ve taken from it is personal budgeting, and making sure we have the proper expenses as to what we’re doing,” said Lehr. “For me as a student, I don’t always have a lot of money, so making sure I’m using that little bit of money to its fullest.”

Badlands Cre8tions is located near the Prairie Rose School Division offices (918 2^nd Avenue) in Dunmore. Duchscherer says the store will be open for special occasions, including Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Items at the store can also be purchased online at https://badlandscre8tions.com.

by Charles Lefebvre

Store featuring student-designed products opens in Dunmore

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