ROB BROWN Enlarge Image

From left, Children of the Earth students Brittany David, Amber Fontaine and Josh Mousseau are part of a group of seven students heading to Ottawa this May to take part in a school entrepreneur competition.

A group of students from Children of the Earth High School will soon be testing their business acumen against competition from across the country.

The North End-based aboriginal high school is one of 32 schools from across Canada that qualified to attend the Business Development Bank of Canada’s E-Spirit business competition national finals in Ottawa. The competition will be held May 10 to 13 in Ottawa.

Children of the Earth was the only Winnipeg school to qualify for the competition. Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute located in The Pas is the other Manitoba finalist.

Aimed at aboriginal youth in grades 10 to 12, E-Spirit is an Internet-based business plan competition.

Children of the Earth teacher Richard Petri said that as the business world has grown increasingly competitive during the last 10 years, educators at the school have begun taking business education more seriously.

"You can’t get out of bed without some kind of aspect to business in life," he said.

Student Amber Fontaine said her school’s business program has done more than just teacher her and her classmates about financial management and accounting.

"It has certainly helped us with public speaking and making presentations to people," she said.

Children of the Earth students teamed-up to create three business plans and corresponding businesses for the E-Spirit competition — a theme basket company, a baby snug business and an entry-level computer training business.

Josh Mousseau said the trip to Ottawa will be an excellent opportunity to learn.

"It will be a good experience and it will be great to represent the city and province," he said.

While in Ottawa, the students will make a PowerPoint presentation, show five-minute videos promoting their businesses and will work a booth at a trade show that will be held in conjunction with the event. They will be judged on each aspect of the competition and awards will be handed out for the best students in each aspect of the competition.

Wilson Neapew, national director of the BDC’s aboriginal banking unit, said the competition targets students at an age when they are starting to look at career opportunities.

"It lets them know that starting your own business and being your own boss is a good, viable option," Neapew said.

The competition provides interactive business planning resources, online access to mentoring and extensive student networking opportunities. It is designed to increase students' awareness of entrepreneurial and business opportunities, management and business skills, e-commerce and technological capacities.

Petri noted that the experience that the students will gain in Ottawa will help them develop character.

"Students develop through this entire experience. From creating their business plans to the public presentations, students are able to find their own voice and are able to present their business and make their cases with pride and conviction," he said.

Fellow Children of the Earth teacher Leigh Brown agrees.

"It creates a great opportunity for students to grow and discovering their own potential as opposed to someone telling them what they can and cannot do," she said.

"For some of our students, it will be a new experience, not only will Ottawa be new but for some students it will be the first time they have ever been on a plane."

The Children of the Earth team headed to Ottawa will include Amber Fontaine, Lenny McKay, Josh Mousseau, Stewart Racette, Waylon Richard, Sayla Spence and Cheyanna West.

rob.brown@canstarnews.com