Innovation, Business and Rural Development
Education
January 29, 2013

Contest Encourages Youth to Discover Entrepreneurship

The iDiscover contest was launched today at Mount Pearl Senior High by the Provincial Government to create more awareness among youth about opportunities associated with entrepreneurship. Details of the contest were announced by Steve Kent, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, Minister Responsible for the Research & Development Corporation, and Minister Responsible for the Office of Public Engagement.

“Connecting youth with some of our province’s passionate entrepreneurs will provide them with valuable insight into the possibilities and opportunities that exist here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister Hutchings. “This contest is one of the many vehicles the Provincial Government has developed to inspire, encourage and educate youth about entrepreneurship. I encourage all high school students to make a submission and discover the important contributions entrepreneurs make to their communities, regions, and province.”

The iDiscover contest, a partnership of the Provincial Government’s Getting the Message Out (GMO) program and the Office of Public Engagement, encourages youth to profile, in their own way, in any medium, an entrepreneur in their community or region. Three winning entries will be selected and the prizes are: an iMac for first place, an iPad2 for second place, and an iPod Touch for third place. The contest is an enhanced version of the GMO Case Study Competition which was launched in 2008.

“Initiatives like the iDiscover contest support the Social Studies, Economic Education and Career Development curriculum in our schools by allowing students to identify opportunities for innovation and economic growth in the world around them,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education. “With the positive impact small and medium-sized businesses have on our provincial economy, it is important our students develop strong entrepreneurial skills, as they will be our future business leaders.”

Changes to the GMO program were also highlighted at today’s event including a revamped website and new resource materials for the Career Development 2201 and Entrepreneurship 3209 courses. Developed in cooperation with the Department of Education, the new classroom kit and textbook are a collection of case studies highlighting the stories of successful local entrepreneurs, designed to engage students in a discussion of entrepreneurship, while meeting curriculum guidelines for both courses.

“We are really looking forward to the inclusion of these new resource and website materials into both of these courses,” said Don King, Principal, Mount Pearl Senior High. “Providing current resources is extremely important for these subject matters and the changes promoted by the Getting the Message Out program are welcomed additions to already outstanding courses.”

For more information about the iDiscover contest and the GMO program visit www.gmo.nl.ca . Contest closes March 22, 2013.

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2013 01 29                          10:35 a.m.