When, starting in elementary school, young people are given the opportunity to build real ventures, they begin to see themselves as entrepreneurs, writes Bill Roche. (Credit: Handout/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder files)
As Canadians focus on infrastructure, trade and investment, they may be overlooking a more important source of economic success: the mindset to adapt, innovate and solve problems. In other words, entrepreneurship.
Many people believe entrepreneurs are born, not made. After 25 years in what might be called “early entrepreneurship education,” I have a different view. When, starting in elementary school, young people are given the opportunity to build real ventures, they begin to see themselves as entrepreneurs. That shift in identity changes how they think and what they choose to pursue in life.
In 2017, I co-founded a charity to expand access to entrepreneurship education and support educators across the country in adapting programming to local contexts. In our programs, students don’t just learn about business. They create real ventures. Over six weeks, students in Grades 4 to 8, guided by teachers and supported by parents and mentors, identify opportunities, develop product ideas and move through market research and prototyping. Along the way, they commit to donating a portion of their profits to causes they care about.
Students develop ideas in different ways and are motivated by different aspects of business. Some focus on solving everyday problems. One student, inspired by his frustration with losing his place while reading, created a bookmark with a slit that folds over the page to mark the line. Another, drawing on her experience with a rare medical condition, created handcrafted wire animals called “Nervies” and donated half her profits to the B.C. Children’s Hospital.
A key feature of our programs is a school-based showcase where students sell their products to real customers. Students run their own sales tables and the entire school community attends, parents and community members included. Excitement builds as young entrepreneurs await their first sale to see how customers respond to their business decisions. The event is rich with learning as the students discover the best ways to attract customers, give sales pitches and answer questions. At the end, they calculate their profits, make donations and repay loans, which are typically provided by their parents.
This is not hypothetical learning. It is experiential, hands-on and fun. Students experiment, try ideas and reflect on results while applying core academic skills, using math to calculate costs and profits, literacy to create advertisements and pitches, and critical thinking to develop and test their ideas. “They were learning even when they thought they were just having fun,” is something we hear a lot. That combination of action and reflection makes learning stick and helps students discover what they care about and where they can make a difference.
As students learn how to improve their products or services, lifelong learning takes root. They develop an entrepreneurial mindset that helps them navigate uncertainty, identify opportunities and take initiative, whatever career path they choose.
I have seen how this plays out over time. I recently spoke with two entrepreneurs in their mid-20s. One leads a non-profit tackling the overdose crisis. The other runs a business selling handcrafted products across North America. Both traced their identity as entrepreneurs to a moment in elementary school when they first saw themselves that way. That moment matters more than we realize.
A growing body of research supports what we see in practice. A study by researchers at Simon Fraser University found that students in the program showed an 11 per cent increase in growth mindset and gains of 26 to 59 per cent in such skills as critical thinking, creativity and communication. Other research points to increases in attendance, engagement and achievement. These are the kinds of skills that underpin a competitive economy.
Building student capacity requires building teacher capacity as well. With the right tools, training, and curriculum-aligned resources, educators report being better able to personalize learning to meet the diverse needs of their students. As a result, students can engage more deeply in their learning, and even those who struggled in traditional environments see new possibilities for what they can do and become.
Entrepreneurship is less about starting companies than developing people who are adaptable and capable of navigating uncertainty. Canada’s future will be shaped by those who know how to create, navigate change and take initiative. When young people see themselves as builders, problem-solvers and contributors, it changes the trajectory of their lives. In classrooms where that shift happens early, the results are already visible.
Bill Roche is co-founder of PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs, a registered charity focused on helping young Canadians develop an entrepreneurial mindset.