Aboriginal youth enterprenuership program offered at more schools

SASKATOON – In an effort to promote entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business success, it was announced on Thursday that more than a dozen schools throughout the province will now offer the Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program.

It was a course Gerald Louis Morin never saw himself taking. He was introduced to the Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program at Oskayak High School last year. The graduate of the program now wants to start his own business.

“The program basically gives you the opportunity to create a venture and bring it out to real life and that’s an experience you always want to walk away with, it lives with you right, you just got to keep it going,” said Gerald Louis Morin, an AYEP graduate.

More students will now have the same opportunity as Gerald, thanks to a number of organizations. A total of 17 schools throughout the province will offer the course.

“To teach entrepreneurship to high school students in conjunction with their own world view, their own traditions their own beliefs and for that reason it’s been a huge success,” said Paul Martin, Aboriginal Education Initiative president and founder.

Saskatchewan has the highest number of schools involved in the country. Under the program teachers will use innovative, hands on learning techniques to help aboriginal students develop the skills and knowledge they need in school and business while respecting their culture.

PotashCorp donated 150 thousand dollars toward the program.