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Every semester at Howe Sound Secondary School, students in the Entrepreneurship 12 course build real business plans from scratch, pitch them to a panel of judges, and compete for a $1,000 prize, and a few have gone on to create businesses based on the ideas they developed in class.
The program was introduced when Tami Jazic arrived at Howe Sound Secondary as Vice Principal in September 2020. With a background running her own yoga and movement studio, teaching entrepreneurship was a natural fit for her. What began with just 14 students has grown into one of the school’s most popular electives, now drawing around 100 students a year.
“Our entrepreneurship program runs like a real business, giving students authentic, hands-on experiences that build essential life skills,” Jazic said. Students practice public speaking, networking, planning, problem solving, and creative thinking, and they learn to take feedback not just from teachers, but from peers and business professionals in the community.
Class days vary depending on where each student’s business idea is in its development. Some days are spent refining strategy or practicing pitches, others bring in guest speakers, field trips, or team building games.
Much of that real world exposure comes through a partnership with the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, which has worked with the program for several years. According to Anne Mackenzie, Executive Director of the Chamber, the collaboration runs three key events each semester.
The first is an information session introducing students to the Chamber and how it supports local business. The second, called Youth Connect, pairs students with mentors from the business community in a speed dating style format, where they pitch their ideas and get immediate feedback early in the semester. The final event is the Youth Business Pitch, held at the end of the semester, where students present their fully developed business ideas on stage in front of judges, peers, and family.
“They have three minutes to present their business pitch and then they have three minutes of questions right on the spot,” Mackenzie said. “They have to really know their business and be prepared to answer those questions.”
Judges are drawn from the local business community and score students on presentation confidence, the viability of their business concept, and their grasp of the financial and practical sides of running a business. The winner receives $1,000 to put toward starting their business or continuing their education.
Winners also receive a complimentary youth Chamber membership, a listing in the business directory, and features on the Chamber’s blog and social media.
The program is funded through a partnership with Capilano University as well as support from Community Futures and the Squamish Community Foundation, along with contributions from local businesses.
For both Jazic and Mackenzie, the impact goes beyond the classroom. Jazic says one of her favourite parts of the program is watching students return as peer tutors to mentor the next group of entrepreneurs. “Every year our community grows, and that’s what makes this program so special,” she said.
Mackenzie sees the ripple effect too. “It’s really great to see the amount of investment from the local business community in supporting these students, both in the mentors volunteering their time and everybody turning out to watch the youth pitch,” she said. “It will plant a seed in them that maybe they can go into business for themselves.”
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