Colin Gowdy - Blackburn News Sarnia, Jan. 5, 2020Enactus Lambton and the St. Clair Catholic School Board have teamed-up to inspire entrepreneurial action among local elementary students.The One Future Program is an entrepreneurial leadership development program providing hands-on knowledge for students.Through a series of workshops, students work to identify a need at the local or global level and then develop presentations to share what they�ve learned and their plan for change.Program Coordinator Megan Rizzo said the program, which is five years in the making, starts with the Enactus team asking students �what bothers you?��What do you see in your community, at school and globally that bothers you, and how do you think we could make a change or be a part of leading an initiative, and then from there we have them work in groups and the teachers relay what they�re learning in the Enactus program into their own curriculum,� said Rizzo. �So the goal is that we�re developing leadership skills, we�re developing are social awareness, and it�s also giving them real world insight and helping them relate that back to their curriculum.�The program is currently at five schools across the school board, St. Patrick�s High School, St. Michael , Holy Trinity, St. Joseph, and St. Elizabeth elementary schools.Rizzo said the program is being piloted by about 175 students and there are plans to expand it ��Enactus recently received $100,000 from RBC to support the project.Rizzo said it will teach students the soft skills that will benefit them in the work life and everyday life.�So making sure that they�re able to communicate effectively and that they understand the importance of completing things on time, and that they understand how to get up in front of a group even if it�s two peers and talk to each other,� she said. �So many teachers have said to us that students who never speak in class are the ones that are talking constantly, they�re sharing their thoughts and ideas, and it�s good to see because they�re benefiting from this.�Weekly course work covers a variety of topics ranging from business planning and global citizenship to critical thinking and marketing strategies.Enactus is an international non-profit organization that brings together student leaders to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business.
