Education Column – Shauneen Pete: A Taste for Accomplishment at Scott Collegiate

What a night.  A small group of youth greeted us warmly as we waited to enter the gymnasium for the Taste of Scott (Scott Collegiate). The music was playing softly; and the room quickly filled with other eager guests clutching tickets to trade for the buffet of offerings that awaited us.  Around the room twelve booths were laid with a variety of food samples.  A blue capped, white-jacketed youth stood behind each station. While some of the youth appeared nervous, others beckoned us with a generous smile and invited us to their booths to try a sample. One thing was clear: these young people took this business very seriously.  These students are members of a high school course in entrepreneurship.

Each team of youth entrepreneurs offered their own unique menu of food samples. At one table the Sticky Jerk Salmon had the guests talking not only about the taste but the presentation, what with its shredded purple cabbage topped with a plantain chip, this dish looked a great as it tasted.  Before we knew it the “Marcus Burger” with aioli sauce sold out. Whether you chose to eat the buffalo ranch wings or the bison brisket with a blueberry reduction, every sample was excellent.  As I sought out my next sample, someone touched my elbow, drew closer and whispered, “You must try the cobbler…incredible”.

“Incredible” is right.  This was no ordinary high school event.  It is an example of the work undertaken by learners in the Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program (AYEP).  The program, designed by former Prime Minister Paul Martin, through his Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative (MAEI) offers hands-on learning experiences to Aboriginal youth.

Through AYEP, students are partnered with a mentor (local business person), who guides them throughout the learning experience. Students learned about entrepreneurship through reading case studies and listening to guest speakers.  One such speaker was local chef and entrepreneur, Dickie Yuzicappi who owns the Sioux Chef catering company.  The major assignment for this course was to design a restaurant with considerations for lighting, paint colours, and seating arrangements.  Each student prepared a poster board which expressed their vision for their business. Students designed a menu which was also on display and of course, they prepared the delicious samples of food.  Learners followed the process of identifying and growing an idea and this event allowed them to showcase their learning.

When I shared with a young man that his product would be great offered through a food truck, he responded that he wasn’t very good with speaking with customers. I responded, “You can hire people to do that for you. You are the chef here. Hire the people you need to sell your product for you”. He smiled back at me. My hope is that some of the students will begin to consider managing their own business in the near future.

This event attracted a number of community leaders including former Mayor Pat Fiacco, Adam Martin Director of Sakewewak Artists Collective, Sarah Longman, Supervisor of Aboriginal Education with Regina Public Schools and Dr. Bob Kayseas from First Nations University of Canada. Dr. Kayseas stated, “This event offers us a glimpse of educational innovation.  These teachers combined the commercial cooking class and the entrepreneurship program to provide relevant, highly engaging and experiential learning for these students.  The look of pride in the faces of the youth is immeasurable”. We were all proud of these young people.

Principal, Shannon Fayant commented that throughout this class the support from the community was amazing. She stated, “Our community is so generous…they are incredibly supportive of the youth in this program, they are so willing to celebrate alongside our students all that they have learned”.  Recognizing achievement is but one outcome for this course.

The Right Honorable Paul Martin states, “Aboriginal education is the key to progress and success in Canada”.  He explains that the program “encourages Aboriginal youth to stay in school where they can develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to achieve success in secondary school, postsecondary education or training, the workplace, and daily life.”  As the Taste of Scott evening wound down, I couldn’t help but notice that while many of the youth looked tired from their efforts aimed at hosting a successful event; certainly, what was also evident was a recognition of their own accomplishments at knowing that they had offered their guests a memorable evening.  We educators must simply offer our learners a taste of accomplishment for them to begin to imagine their own potential.  Thank you Scott Collegiate.

– Dr. Shauneen Pete, RezX Contributing Editor

Dr. Shauneen Pete is an Associate Professor at the University of Regina and is the Executive Lead: Indigenization. Her courses are designed to trouble common-sense ideas about identity, citizenship and democracy.

Dr. Shauneen Pete (Photo by Bill Stevenson)