Thursday, March 28, 2024

Over 60 budding entrepreneurs highlighted at this weekend’s ‘Kidovate’ event in downtown Victoria

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An annual event inspiring the next generation of young entrepreneurs in Victoria is back and, this weekend, you can help make their dreams become a reality.

After a two year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kidovate, the fun, free youth entrepreneurship initiative of UVic’s Gustavson School of Business, is returning to the Bay Centre.

Every year, the initiative helps middle and high school age students in Greater Victoria develop products and services to sell at the Kidovate market. 

“Having to cancel the event in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, we are excited to follow up on the success of the 2019 event,” said University of Victoria entrepreneurship professor Brock Smith. 

“At our last event, 30 youth participated and sold products that ranged from crocheted and yarn creations, hand-made soap and bath bombs, poetry, water-colour paintings and more. We’re excited to see what’s in store at the market this year, given the huge range of creative products we’ve seen in the past. More than 60 youth have already signed up for Kidovate 2022.”

Everyone who signs up to participate receives a graphic novel style workbook to help them work through some key decisions in deciding what their product will be and their strategy of how to sell it. 

Kidovate also connects youth with UVic business student mentors who can help them with their business!

“The Kidovate experience was valuable because it gave me the opportunity to sell my products in a public setting,” said Cassia, a previous Kidovate program participant.

“I was able to earn money, give to charity and run my own business.”

On April 9th, young entrepreneurs aged 12 to 17 will take over the centre court at the Bay Centre to display and sell their new products and services. 

Participants will also have the option of donating their proceeds to a charity. 

Along with the event, program organizers created lesson plans tied into the BC middle school and high school curriculums, with hopes of encouraging educators to incorporate entrepreneurship and key learnings from the program into their classroom. 

You can learn more about Kidovate here.

Kidovate

  • Where: Centre Court in the Bay Centre
  • When: 10 a.m to 6 p.m., Saturday April 9th

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