September 3 2004 Central Bedeque, Prince Edward Island Summer vacation has been an entrepreneurial adventure for 188 students who took part in The Young Millionaires Program. The participants from across the province, aged eight to 16 years, gained first-hand experience owning and operating a business. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is providing a contribution of $199,950 over three years to the Central Development Corporation to deliver The Young Millionaires Program in conjunction with Active Communities Inc., La Société de Développement de la Baie Acadienne and Resources West. To start their business, students can receive a seed grant of up to $100 ($150 for partnerships). Along with the start-up funding, the aspiring young entrepreneurs attend four workshops to learn business fundamentals including record keeping, marketing, time management and customer service. "The program is designed to open the door to entrepreneurship," said the Honourable Wayne Easter, Member of Parliament for Malpeque. "The students can explore and gain experience. It helps them to recognize that owning their own business is a possibility for the future." More than 1,000 students have now participated in the program since it was first offered in 1992. The program was formerly known as I Want to be A Millionaire and has been updated with new materials and curriculum. "These young people have started some extremely creative businesses," said Christi Millar, provincial program coordinator. "In the past, these young entrepreneurs have provided a wide variety of services such as compost bin cleaning, grass cutting and web page development while other participants have produced a broad range of products including jewelry, crafts, vegetables and even hammocks." A Celebration Night held last night allowed participants from the group coordinated by the Central Development Corporation to share their business experiences and be recognized for their accomplishments. Participants are James Andres, Menno Arendz, Mitchell Aten, Jacob Bell, Tiffany Bradford, Kendra Craig, Emily McArdle, Cody Dawson, Taylor Drummond, Brittany Gallant, Emma Giddings, Audrey Lynn Grady, Ashley Montgomery, Shawn Leger, Rose Leger, Daniel MacDonald, Matthew MacDonald, Jeffrey MacFarlane, Brandon MacKinnon, Matthew McKenna, Ryan McKenna, Mary Jane Montgomery, Ellen Murphy, Sara Murphy, Brittany Polchies, Bradley Postma, Melissa Postma and Noel White. Celebration Nights are scheduled for September 10 for the Resources West participants, September 8, 9, and 10 for the Active Communities groups and September 12 for La Société de Développement de la Baie Acadienne participants. For more information about The Young Millionaires Program contact Christi Millar at (902) 887-3400. - 30 - Ron Crozier Office of the Minister of ACOA (902) 888-4150 Christi Millar Central Development Corporation (902) 887-3400 christi@central.cbdc.ca Lynn MacDonald ACOA PEI and Tourism (902) 566-7491 lynn.macdonald@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
