Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship

Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship Experience for Students
Posted on 04/15/2016

Today, approximately 40 students from the Business and Non-profit Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program at St. Peter's Catholic Secondary School in Barrie will participate in a real-world exercise that will see them partner with the Barrie YMCA. The students are being challenged to help the YMCA determine the right programming for youth (ages 13-19). Following the Ontario Ministry of Education's Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) training, the students will gather information, research and brainstorm, and ultimately "pitch" their ideas to staff from the YMCA in a "Dragon's Den" like scenario. 

Approximately 40 students from the Business and Non-profit SHSM at St. Peter's are involved. The day begins at the school, with the unveiling of the challenge statement and agenda for the day. The SHSM students will then travel by bus to the Barrie YMCA to meet with many of the facility staff. With all of the information they need in hand, the students will travel back to the school and begin the ICE process.

At 1 p.m. Jenna Steeves, Supervisor, Child Youth and Aquatics, and Dale Rowe,General Manager from the YMCA will be at St. Peter's to hear the student's pitches and provide feedback, in a format very similar to the popular television show, "Dragon's Den" - pitches will need to be short, snappy and compelling. 

More about the ICE process:

What is ICE? The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) training is one way the Ontario Ministry of Education is helping prepare students for the future. ICE training is an experience in which student teams will use a process called the 3 Gears (developed by the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto) to solve a real-world challenge specific to an organization. At the end of the process, students will share their insights and innovations. 

Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship are three skills that are important for students to learn and know how to apply. This works best if they tackle real-world challenges. ICE training provides SHSM students in Grades 11 and 12 with a process and set of tools to help them develop the mindset related to innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Through this training, students will develop sector specific knowledge and skills to solve real world problems.