By Charles Lefebvre

Prairie Rose School Division students pitch business ideas

Jan 11, 2019 | 3:13 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Students in the Prairie Rose School Division were on the clock at Medicine Hat College this afternoon, looking to receive support for their business ideas.

Students from high schools in the division attended Medicine Hat College took part in a business pitching competition Friday afternoon.

“This fall, they’ve worked on what’s called business model canvas, and they’ve developed business venture ideas,” said Christie Wilson, entrepreneur outreach coordinator at Medicine Hat College. “What they’re going to do today is present those and get some feedback, ask for help, and they’re also going to compete for prizes.”

The competition was part of the Rural Youth Entrepreneurship pilot project run as a partnership between the college and Prairie Rose. One day a week at each school, college instructors would work with the students, helping them develop their business ideas and preparing their pitches.

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“Every week, I’ve seen a huge progression,” Wilson said. “The amount of creativity, innovation and open thinking that’s done in the classroom really has amazed me.”

Wilson adds its important to help student build their skills as entrepreneurs, which she says will help them when they enter the workforce.

“The work we were doing in the classroom was around that, sharing, learning to collaborate, pitching ideas, learning about business and entrepreneurship,” she said. “A big thing is having students prepared for the new economy. If you don’t think entrepreneurial, it’s going to be really hard to be successful and perform in the new economy.”

Items the students pitched will be on sale in a store run by Prairie Rose this spring, says Wilson.

A group from Foremost School (Jessica Butterwick, Jordan Kurzweg, Talynn Simanton, and Heidi Walsh ) who pitched Golden Zenf, a locally-made artisanal mustard, won the pitch contest. Suprize Jar’Z, pitched by students from South Central High School, were the runners up.