How high-school students turned a business idea into a reality

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Harriet Li says she had no idea what to expect when she signed up for Junior Achievement’s Company Program at her Edmonton high school.

She thought it would just be another extracurricular activity designed to keep students busy during the pandemic, but it turned out instead, to push every skill she had to its limits and catapult her to new levels of personal growth, development and self-confidence.

JA’s flagship after-school program teaches students how to start their own business. Li’s idea: recycle facemasks into jewellery to keep them out of the landfill.

With guidance from local volunteer business mentors, Li and her classmates created, managed and liquidated a business, Gaia (named after the Grecian goddess of Earth), in only 18 weeks.

“I gained the confidence to lead a team and support them throughout the entire process,” says Li, now a first-year student in the kinesiology and health studies program at York University in Toronto. “I continue to apply those skills to this day.”

Nelson Damaso, a Toronto-based business and economics teacher, says he’s a huge supporter of “all things JA.”

“JA provides accessible experiential learning for students from all backgrounds and pathways,” says Damaso, who teaches Grades 9 through 12. “Students often return from JA events with a renewed sense of optimism and motivation. Many pursue postsecondary pathways in business because of their experience.”

Damaso has also noticed a marked improvement in his students’ critical-thinking and decision-making abilities, teamwork and networking skills and communication and problem-solving as a direct result of participating in JA programs and interacting with volunteer mentors.

“In our rapidly changing global business environment, it is difficult to predict what industries will look like in the next 10 or 20 years, but we do have a fairly good idea of what skills will be necessary,” he says.

The guidance and mentorship students gain from industry partners – experts in business, entrepreneurship and financial literacy – could never be achieved through classroom pedagogy alone, he adds.

One such partner, CIBC, has supported JA since 1965. In addition to committing significant funding for national program delivery, CIBC staff also volunteer their time to deliver financial education workshops across the country.

This year alone, 200 CIBC team members in Canada and the U.S. have volunteered more than 1,000 hours, delivered 123 programs, such as Company Program, and reached approximately 14,500 students.

“Giving and volunteering are rooted in our focus on helping people realize their ambitions,” says Jeffrey Nold, CIBC’s director of employee engagement and partnerships.

“Engaging with professionals and career mentors can give students the opportunity to learn from those who have first-hand experience in their field of interest,” he says. “This can help them gain insights into the industry and a better understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.”

For Li, the sage advice and feedback provided by their volunteer mentors allowed her group to fully explore the challenges and triumphs that come with starting a business.

The support, ultimately, landed Gaia media exposure and the Company of the Year award at JA’s pitch competition.

“No goal was too big,” she says of the mentors, who encouraged the team’s idea to transform melted-down masks into a brand new product.

“With no time to test if it was feasible, we took the risk and it led to beautiful jewellery that also stood for something,” she says. “And it was our mentors who enabled us to put our crazy ideas into action.”

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with JA Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.