Three Grade 10 Hazelton Secondary students earned a spot at the Business Development Bank of Canada’s E-Spirit gathering and awards gala, a Canada-wide aboriginal high school student event, held in Kamloops May 14 - 16.
The trio, Melanie Swift, president, Kymberli Perry, info and technology and Dylan Wesley, finance and production, were one of two B.C. groups chosen to participate.
It took a bit of doing, but the group put their heads together and ended up with a 40-page business plan.
Chickadee Health Boost, a healthy snack-based business.
“We brainstormed and came up with a healthy snack business,” Swift, said.
“We settled on this because there’s a definite need in our community.”
Their products, which ranged from $1 to $6 in price, are energy bars, protein balls, breakfast cookies and paleo chocolate, the latter being a made with coconut oil and honey, were all low in sugar.
“We think most people need to eat healthier,” Swift said.
“So why not buy a local product?”
Perry shared why they chose a chickadee as the logo.
“The bird is well-known in our community,” she said.
“And they’re pretty healthy eaters.”
Chickadee was actually run by the students for two months and did quite well.
“We sold at trades shows, the Christmas bazaar and here in the cafeteria,” Perry said.
“It was a really good learning experience.”
At the event in Kamloops the group had to participate in a trade show and give a 10-minute presentation.
“BDC E-Spirit gives students a first taste of the business world,” Wilson Neapew, National Director, and Aboriginal Banking Unit at BDC, said.
Despite all the learning that occurred the group doesn’t think they’ll continue with this particular business, but they all want to keep their options open for the future.