Recent History – 1998
Dec. 14, 1998, By Mark Nielsen, Daily News Staff
Seven teachers from Grande Prairie Composite School were in Dawson Creek on Friday to learn more about the Kiwanis Enterprise Centre. School principal Barry Edgar said he was impressed by what he saw during the presentation and tour and saw how some aspects of the centre could be adopted in Grande Prairie.
The Enterprise Centre is home to South Peace Secondary School’s Entrepreneurship 11 and 12 courses. Edgar said that similar courses only go up to grade 10 in Grande Prairie but there is a movement to expand that into grades 11 and 12.
“There is certainly a movement in Alberta to start teaching these types of courses,” he said.
Along with learning about the more technical aspects of teaching the curriculum, the teachers also heard from students about the projects they’re pursuing.
Jane Yaciw, for example, has started a business that helps others do better businesses. Called “Mystery Shoppers”, Yaciw will pose as a shopper at a local business and evaluate such matters as customer service, cleanliness, and overall presentation. She is also doing a customer count for an entrepreneur who wants to see if installing an automatic door at a second entrance is worthwhile.
The visiting teachers also heard from other students about such projects as selling honey over the Internet, starting up a pet shop and selling car stereo equipment.
Edgar said it’s doubtful that something as ambitious as the Enterprise Centre will be started in Grande Prairie but added that he would like to see students get involved in their own businesses as part of the courses they would take. “I think the whole aspect of starting a business and following through on it is really possible,” he said.