For one Surrey student, it's all about the bees.
Grade 6-er Kehan Hettiarachchi is the winner of a Dragons' Den-style pitch event created by Surrey Board of Trade and PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs.
On Wednesday (June 1), he was celebrated at Boundary Park Elementary for his so-called Krazy Pots, which are pre-filled pots with soil and wild flowers to help bees thrive.
The event is part of a SBOT program to boost youth entrepreneurship in Surrey, through its new Youth Entrepreneurship and Advocacy Action Plan (YEAAP).
The program is carried out by the SBOT Youth Entrepreneur Team, comprised of local youth and business leaders, and it includes work experience, business events, business competitions and mentoring. Also, it involves giving students in grades 4 to 8 "an exciting, hands-on opportunity to explore the world of business."
At Boundary Park Elementary, 59 students have been preparing to launch their own small business ventures this spring with Surrey-based PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs, which aims to create "experiential learning programs that help grades K-12 students explore financial and social responsibility."
Participating students develop business plans, conduct market research and make decisions about product design, advertising and pricing. They then showcase their achievements in a trade event called the Young Entrepreneur Show where they interact with customers and earn real money, with a portion of profits donated to charity.