News Release

MONCTON (GNB) – An initiative that will support the start-up of entrepreneurial education projects for kindergarten to Grade 12 students at 93 francophone schools in the province was unveiled today at École L'Odyssée in Moncton.

“This initiative will enable students to work on projects that will help them develop their entrepreneurial spirit and their engagement with their community,” said Premier David Alward. “This is in keeping with our government's priority to develop entrepreneurship among young people in the province.”

The objective of the projects is to permit students at francophone schools to play the role of initiators, doers, and managers of projects, which will help in developing their entrepreneurial spirit. This will bring out qualities and behaviours that will be useful to them throughout their lives: self-confidence, a sense of responsibility, leadership, ingenuity, creativity, pride in identity and culture, and the ability to innovate.

“With this provincial initiative, we are establishing a structure that will encourage students, supported by the co-operation of all the educational and community partners, to devise a product, a service, or an event that meets a real need in their school and their community,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Marie-Claude Blais. “These projects will promote an entrepreneurial spirit among the students and will maximize the development and strengthening of school, family, and community partnerships.”

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, the Regional Development Corporation, the organization Place aux compétences, the Pond-Deshpande Centre at the University of New Brunswick, the francophone school districts, and their numerous partners will take part in the initiative.