Food spices, handmade crystal jewelry, and eco-friendly Christmas cards are three products that some students at Vanier Collegiate are selling as part of a class project.
Students in the Entrepreneurship 30 class launched their Junior Achievement-related businesses on Nov. 10, with immediate interest from other youths. The business-minded students will hawk their wares at school, on social media and through partnerships with community businesses.
Junior Achievement is an international non-profit organization that helps youths learn more about business and financial literacy by participating in hands-on activities.
Eco-friendly cards
Seed You Later focuses on producing Christmas and holiday cards made of recycled paper, while those same cards will sprout wildflowers after they have been planted, explained group president Avery Seman. When creating the paper pulp for the cards, the students add the seeds before the cards are pressed.
“I’ve seen a couple of these cards floating around before, and I just knew when going to dollar stores, there’s all the plastic and there’s all the extra stuff on these holiday cards,” she continued. “All our cards are — besides the twine — completely biodegradable as well as recyclable if you’d rather go that route.”
It has been a “chaotic” experience for the six students in developing their product since they had about two weeks to figure out prototypes and start their production line, Seman said. The latter aspect was tough since there are many recipes to make paper.
“Just the other day, our cards’ designs were changed after trying to figure everything out, so it’s definitely been a wild ride,” the Grade 11 student added.
Food spices
The Spice Kings is composed of eight students whose goal is to sell quality steak and chicken spices so people can “eat like royalty.” The company sells The King’s Sword, a spicy beef rub, The King’s Shield, a mild beef rub and The King’s Bow, a lemon pepper spice blend.
The company plans to give 15 per cent of its profits to STARS Air Ambulance.
The team originally planned to sell beef jerky — they love food — but public health officials denied their request due to health and safety issues, explained president Kendall Ebbett. They wanted to stick with a barbecuing-related business, so they decided to sell spices.
The group creates its products by purchasing several different base spices and then blends them in the home economics lab before canning them in small jars.
“We’ve done all the work for our own businesses, so we do all the payment, the bank work, the creation, the sales … and learn start-up of a business,” the Grade 11 student said. “… we have learned that dividing our work amongst all our people is definitely a good use of our time instead of sitting in a group.
“Don’t doubt us just because we’re only 16 (or) 17. We have an awesome teacher who has showed us the ins and outs of running this business,” he added. “We have definitely put in our time for working on it.”
Handmade jewelry
Cristal-Li makes handmade, genuine and ethically sourced crystal jewelry for women older than 14 who wear such products. The company’s goal is to maintain its core values of respect, equality, transparency and flexibility.
It also hopes to donate 20 per cent of its profits to Moose Jaw Transition House.
The main products include three types of necklaces and two types of crystal rings, which can be purchased separately or as a bundle.
Business president Ann-Marie Rouault-Chedid explained that the 13-member group wanted to produce these products since wearing crystals among women is currently popular. One member already had a braided necklace that they wanted to replicate, while they thought rings with crystals were attractive.
Rouault-Chedid has not operated a business before — learning to operate one and create receipts were new experiences — but noted that one group member has run three businesses outside of school. However, the group has worked well together and making the products was a team effort.
“So (making the items) was kind of a tedious process. It does not take very long to make them, but to make a very large assortment of them,” the Grade 12 student added. “(However), everyone is so excited. We’re all very passionate about this business and we’re all really happy we got the chance to do it.”
Cristal-Li is selling its products at school and several community businesses, such as The Shoppe on Main Street, Co-op and Moose Jaw Tourism.
