Grade 12 student, Bri LaPlante. Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
Aboriginal high school students from across the province were making business pitches today to a panel of judges during the last day of the eighth annual Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship camp in Regina.
The event was hosted by the First Nations University, which saw some impressive ideas from the students.
One of them was a company called “Spiritual Wear.” Grade 12 student, Bri LaPlante was part of the team that put together the proposal. She says the idea is to make ribbon shirts and dresses. She is confident the idea has the potential to make money right off the bat.
“You know it could really profit us and profit the culture camps,” she said. “Further on, it could inspire environmentalists, aboriginal politics — you know? I feel this could be the start of something great.”
LaPlante is a Grade 12 student in Regina, with roots to the Fishing Lake First Nation.
Twenty-four students took part in the week-long camp. FNU faculty member, Richard Missens was impressed with the students.
“There were some generations we sometimes call the lost generation, where Aboriginal identity was not out in front,” he said. “Now we see young people just wanting to learn and being proud of who they are.”
The students stay on campus and get a real taste of university life.
Missens hopes many of them may consider continuing their education at FNU.