Guests: Leah Coss (Speaker on Build a Biz Kids), Paul Lahti, Meghan’s better half, Don Klassen spoke about the girl of his Dreams, and Glen Brown who will be officially transferred today from his old Club on the Sunshine Coast.
Announcements:
- We will be manning a Rotary tent and table at the PCT site on Saturday June 30th for visitors coming to their open house. We will be promoting our good works in the community, reminding visitors of RIBFEST dates and requesting volunteers.
- Dan & Marion and Paul are at RI conference....Here is an UPDATE from Dan.
Yesterday they had the DG's on stage representating the top 20 top districts in the Rotary world donating to the Foundation. Both 5040 and 5050 were in the top 20 and proud to see Lindajean Coyle up there. I was talking to her today and 5050 was 5th and 5040 was 16th. Very impressive indeed.
Haven't caught up to Paul yet so I guess we'll miss him. Was talking to Sean and Carol Hogan today.
- RIBFEST—remember the dates (July 20-22). Please use whatever social media formats you use to let all your friends know about it and ask them to volunteer.
- Thursday June 24th (tomorrow) was National Aboriginal Day with events at Rocky Point Park.
- Big Thanks to Peter and Vida who were able to affix our Rotary signage to our tent.
Speaker: Leah Coss
Leah Is here to inform us of an exciting new program she and her 2 partners have started in the Tri-Cities called Build a Biz Kids. Leah’s experience has been working for several years in the “franchising” industry including with 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Her partners in this venture are Braden Ricketts who has been in Project Management in the Not for Profit field and Tressa Woods who was with Leah in 1-800-Got-Junk as well was CEO for Men With Kilts plus she started YELL which is a program for high school kids “promoting entrepreneurial thinking= the art and practice of solving great problems”.
Build a Biz Kids is formed to nurture and support children and their ideas and encourage entrepreneurialism in the target group of kids 7-12. The Benefits for the kids 1) emotional and social development, 2) confidence building—positive reinforcement, 3) practical and academic development, 4) learning how to talk and interact with people, and 5) develop financial skills and literacy early. They have a main sponsor already (VANCITY who want to teach kids the financial skills and literacy they will need as they grow) and a number of others they are talking to.
This year 2018 they will be conducting “summer camps” from 9-3 for a week teaching kids in a team format to become “tiny-preneurs”. They hope to be able to include some at risk kids as well as first nations kids. It will teach them to go through all the steps required to create a product and bring it to market. Think of something they can make that is useful/needed and can be sold to make a profit. How to do a product launch, promote it, participate in a “kids trade show” etc.
During the school year the kids do this as an after school project and they work on their own projects. Part of the learning process is the importance of social responsibility so the intention is that after all costs have been covered the kids will determine which charities will be supported with the profits and currently they are thinking SHARE and 33030 Gordon Street. The after school program is similar to a Junior Achievement program. It is set up to run for 10 weeks of mentoring, product research, manufacture, promotion, selling etc. There is an 11th week session that will be provided by VanCity to teach basics of personal finance, how to use the money, and business finance.
Sounds like a really great program, ideas and knowledge the kids will use throughout the rest of their life.
Good Luck in Las Vegas Alan