Student Venture is a 12 week program designed to give grade 11 and 12 students an opportunity to set up and operate a classroom-based business enterprise.

Guided by a business volunteer, these future business leaders gain practical first hand experience on how to operate a business by raising capital, electing officers, producing and marketing a product or service and liquidating their company.

The Volunteer Role

A volunteer from the business community works with the students to provide guidance and leadership throughout the duration of their classroom business, from startup to liquidation. Ideally the volunteers will share their expertise and experience with the students while helping to deliver the program through the material provided by Junior Achievement. The role of the volunteer includes the following:

• facilitate 12 weekly sessions (typically 1 and 1/2 hours each)
• bring practical business experience to the program to reinforce the theories being demonstrated
• help the students to understand objectives, create strategies, think critically and develop presentation skills
• help teach the students about teamwork and the enterprise system while simultaneously allowing them to develop skills they can use later in their personal and professional lives

Volunteer Benefits

Junior Achievements volunteers will tell you, "You gain far more than you give." In addition to the personal satisfaction of knowing that a significant contribution has been made to the futures of the young people who are involved in the project, the volunteer benefits include:

• increased and improved skills in the areas of communication (both oral and written),time management and organizational abilities
• understanding and appreciation of today's youth through invaluable interaction
• an enlarged sense of community and social responsibility.

In short, if you invest time with Junior Achievement, you will return to work refreshed and invigorated, with your own leadership skills improved. Equally important, you will gain great satisfaction knowing that you have fostered a positive relationship between youth and business.