Vanier Students Launch Their Own Companies

Back for another semester of business ventures, Vanier Collegiate High School's Entrepreneurship 30 class has launched their companies for the year at the local high school Thursday.

Like every year, the class takes time to introduce themselves and show off their products for the year.

As per usual, one group of students will be running the Vanier Christmas Craft and Tradeshow on November 24th. The students plan, advertise, and host the annual event by themselves as par to of their venture for the year.

Two new student-led companies also debuted, Be the Change and Reclaimed Love Co. Be the Change sells unique, handmade, stamped penny jewelry and key chains with motivational words on them. Reclaimed Love Co. takes unwanted wood, such as pallets and scrap, and makes brand new home decor and small furniture pieces with them. Both businesses take custom orders.

"I'm really excited for what we can do with this and I think it will be really successful if we can continue and keep up what we think we can accomplish," Be the Change President Bailey Moser said.

Also, as previous years did, the students will be supporting charities of their choice. Reclaimed Love Co. will be donating 20% of their final profit and a few of their own products to Habitat for Humanity. Be the Change decided to donate 20% of their profits to St. Joseph's Social Justice Project Elder Hope.

The Trade Show will be donating silver plate entry donations and all concession funds to Riverside Mission.

This class gives students a look at running companies with the help of Junior Achievement Canada, a non-profit organization geared toward helping students learn to run a business by running their own business.

"We definitely want to be profitable but the reality is is that's not the end goal exactly. It is to learn what a business plan is, to learn how to implement a business, learn how to network, work together, collaborate," Business Ed teacher Christa Lapointe said. "So in all the year I've been running it, we've seen success both profitability wise, as well as success in giving back to our community."

Since 2009, the Entrepreneurship 30 class has donated close to $13,000 to various charities.

To learn more about each business venture, you can find the Vanier Christmas Craft and Trade Show, Be the Change, and Reclaimed Love Co. online. You can also find the two business ventures at various trade shows throughout Moose Jaw.