As one of the components of the CXC, Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), SBA students are required to complete a group project. This year, at the Adrian T Hazell Primary School, Tr. Terron Azille, grade six teacher of the Boy’s class decided to center the project under the theme, “Entrepreneurship.” Under this theme, students, with the guidance of their parents, were tasked with the goal of creating a small business from the ground up. They would have to develop everything from the company’s name to gaining start-up funds, marketing, promotion and running the establishment. They were in charge of all these things. However, Teacher Terron put a few guidelines in place. 1. Students were allowed to run their establishment for at least one, but no more than 3 business days. 2. 20% of whatever profit was made had to be donated to the school’s graduation fund as a civic responsibility ; and 3. All remaining profit would be divided evenly among partners. Groups developed names such as “Slush Rainbow Rush”, “6T Baker Boys”, “Rainbow City Movie Theatre” “Joyful Candy” “Pattie Express” and “The Breakfast Bunch”
As expected, students were buzzing with excitement. They promoted and advertised in several ways such as posters, announcements in assembly, text blasts and via social media. They collected data using surveys, interviews and by meeting with people in the business community. They were excited before but that excitement grew as money began rolling through. All of the businesses completed their projects as profitable organizations, except one. Teacher Terron himself believes that the business which was unprofitable actually had the most potential but due to their high expenditure to make a top-notch product it was hard to get over the profit margin. He also expressed thanks to his student’s parents, fellow teachers and Principal for their involvement and patronage.
Teacher Terron said: “ We often hear parents say, go to school, become a doctor, become a lawyer, become a teacher but we hardly hear them say, become a doctor, but eventually your goal should be to open up your own health care centre or open your own law office. Or even if, you wanna be a teacher, there’s nothing wrong with that but how amazing it would be if eventually, you can open up your own school. I wanted to inspire these young men to dream bigger and be willing and brave enough to chart their own course and be masters of their own destiny. They, for the most part, did an awesome job! This was just the first step in a long journey.”
-Contributed
