BCBusiness

12 O n t h e R a d a r : illu s t r a t i o n s : A d o b e S t o c k / t ulp a h n B C B U S I N E S S . C A N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 24 According to co-founder and executive director Bill Roche, PowerPlay is active in four provinces. In 2023, it worked with: 286 SCHOOLS AND 21,800 STUDENTS IN B.C. 114 SCHOOLS AND 6,200 STUDENTS IN THE REST OF CANADA Studies on PowerPlay suggest that: The program generates an 11% increase in growth mindset, which will help students thrive in an emerging economy Participants demonstrate 26-59% increases in competencies such as creativity, critical thinking and communications 80% of students enjoyed being in the program and would recommend it to their friends ON THE RADAR jobs]," he says, "and I thought, wouldn't it be great if we could help kids discover their pas- sions from an early age?" Today, PowerPlay develops an entrepreneurial mindset in kids by teaching them how to create business plans, conduct market research and make and sell products. The organization also donates a portion of its profits to charity. Some teachers use the program to achieve their subject-specific learning outcomes while others run it as a separate project all year long. "It's very easy for kids or teachers to embed cultural and traditional practices into the project," says Roche. Hutterite communities in Sas- katchewan, for example, have taken money out of the equa- tion because it's against their philosophy. "But they still see an equally high engagement level [with PowerPlay]." In 2017, after Charles Chang, founder of Vancouver-based Lyra Growth Partners and Vega protein powder, made a $10-million donation to estab- lish the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship at SFU, Roche joined forces with him to expand PowerPlay's reach. They transformed the program into a nonprofit called the Young Entrepreneurs of Cana- da Association, and the move, coupled with funding from the Government of Canada, has helped PowerPlay land in 400 schools across Canada. Now the charity is backed by big names like SFU, CIBC and Telus, and it hosts events in partnership with organizations like the Surrey Board of Trade. It supported around 28,000 young entrepreneurs in 2023, including Surrey student Ishaan Dhaliwal, who created a custom sign business for his project. He won Best Product at a Power- Play showcase event last year and later sold 120 signs (at $10 each) at a hockey tournament. And this year, athletic eighth- grader Luke Malpass started Sport Spritz, a spray that can remove post-game odour from bags and kits. Since 2017, students have donated an estimated $250,000 to charities through the program. A 2023 study by Johns Hopkins University found that, by turning kids into decision- makers, PowerPlay is both educational and engaging. Several B.C. teachers vouch for it, too, insisting that it helps struggling learners find success in school. "[Students] see an ex- panded view of their potential, and they actually start seeing mistakes as a learning opportu- nity," says Roche. A similar study by SFU surveyed over 2,400 students and 40 teachers in Surrey and Langley to conclude that Pow- erPlay does demonstrate an increased growth mindset in kids, and that "entrepreneurial traits like vision, perseverance, creative problem-solving and learning agility will be critical for all workers to employ" in the coming years. At UBC, it's clear that PowerPlay's reach extends beyond the classroom as it helps students like Soni nur- ture their passions even after the program ends. "There are so many different things that an entrepreneurial mindset comes with and PowerPlay provides the tools to help you," she says. GO FIGURE by Michael McCullough SOURCES: SFU BEEDIE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY RETAIL IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYMENT IN B.C. AS OF JUNE 2024, 321,000 BRITISH COLUMBIANS WORKED IN THE SECTOR. 65% of Canadians polled said they could not afford to travel during the 2023 holiday season. Of those who planned to travel, 50% said they would be spending less. NET PRESENT VALUE A few numbers that offer a sense of the changing face of holiday shopping and retail in Canada and B.C. On average, Canadians planned to spend $1,347 on the 2023 holiday season. Though 29% planned to spend less on gifts than the previous year, 7% overspent their budget by more than $1,000.

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