Throughout the program, students are asked to create a YouTube channel (if they don’t already have one) and upload their responses to challenges in a video format. For Challenge 5, using APTN, students located a news story that affects a First Nation economy and created a one to two minute news broadcast. For Challenge 6, students were given the option to create a mock video of themselves for the position of Madeskimo Band Manager, or give their top 10 interview tips. The National RBC video challenge is the most recent challenge given, where students identify what a social enterprise is and then come up with their own example of a sustainable social enterprise business, using $150 from RBC’s #Make150Count campaign.
Challenges submitted in video format:
- Ciana Julian: Cape Breton First Nations economy.
- Ryan Corbin: Economic benefits of Eskasoni’s 25th
- Nicole Issac-Pictou: Mock Interview for Madeskimo band manager.
- Camryn Sock: Tips to prepare for an Interview.
- Rebeka Motty: News broadcast: Frog Lake oil industry economy.
- Alyssa Chiasson: Social enterprise AYCEE.
- Cassandra Bruhm: Youth group drop-in social enterprise.
- Emerson Cabot: Home cooked meals social enterprise.
- Haley Bruhm: Bakery employing at risk youth.
- Ryan Corbin: Advertising company to employ the homeless.
- Stevie Demerchant: Fitness and clean water for First Nations communities.
- Sabrina Jacquard-Doucette: University textbook exchange.
A video challenge that stood out to me was submitted by Jada Ward, a grade 10 student from Bonar Law Memorial School. In her response, Jada explains that First Nations elections can have negative effects on local economies by stalling developments in communities that are trying to move forward. She compares St. Mary’s First Nation and Indian Island, noting the differences in geographic locations, and how that impacts each community’s economy. When a community is located further from a city centre it is harder to build economic relationships and can further be stalled by elections. Jada also gives an example of how Red Bank attained land based on surrendered land claims and then built a business to generate money. I was very impressed by Jada’s response to this challenge, specifically for the topics she introduced such as additions to reserve and own source revenue. This is Jada’s first year as an In.Business student and she is already exceeding expectations in the program with her responses. Watch Jada’s Video.
Nina Kent
Atlantic Regional Manager, In.Business