CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE May 4, 2018
On May 4, grade 11 students from Pontiac High School (PHS) got a taste of the startup world as they pitched their business plans to a panel of dragons, er, panthers.
Teacher Jordan Kent explained that the students had been working on their pitches for three to four weeks as part of a new course on financial literacy that’s been mandated province-wide. Working alone or in groups, they had to come up with a budget, calculate expenses and look at possible competitors in the local market.
“I think they put a lot into them,” Kent said. “They like that authentic learning experience.”

The types of businesses ranged from selling sporting goods to building guitars and even starting a creamery. To make the project as realistic as possible, Kent invited a panel of local business experts – Ruth Hahn from Café 349, Katherine Hynes from the Pontiac Printshop/The Equity and Brittney Morin from SADC Pontiac – to judge the pitches and share their wisdom.
Kent explained that Morin had already come into the the class at the beginning of the unit to speak, and added that he was grateful both Hahn and Hynes could take the time to participate.
They grilled the students on everything from their overhead costs to marketing strategies, and offered possible improvements to students’ strategies.
Kent added that he thinks the pragmatic approach is the way to go when teaching kids to think like entrepreneurs.
“I think it’s more important for this region,” he said. “Small businesses are the backbone of the area.”