Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Arctic Bay (Jan 17/00) - For a hands-on look at business, a group of Arctic Bay students plan to attend the next edition of the Iqaluit Trade Show, says a teacher at the Baffin Island's school.

Ron Elliott says the trip will offer his 15 Grade 8 students a chance to see a variety of businesses from across the North as well as from other parts of Canada.

To get to Iqaluit in March, the students need to raise $17,000. As well as the students and two teachers, the plan is to take an elder.

The trip will be a way to open students' eyes to the possibility of running their own business.

"We're constantly telling kids to get their Grade 12. We have 278 kids, if they all graduate and there are no jobs, they have the option of moving out. But some don't want to leave," Elliott said.

"If they can't find a job (in Arctic Bay) they can volunteer in the community. Another option is to start their own business."

Elliott said parents will help with costs and businesses have been supportive.

"The Coast Guard offered to give us a travel voucher for one person and (in exchange) one student will help man the Coast Guard's booth at the trade show," Elliott said.

"I've been very successful in getting parents involved. Parents are in favour of the students learning business skills."

As well as efforts to get the class to the trade show, Elliott said the school also runs a cafe business, which helps teach about business.

Elliott, when he was Inuujaq's math teacher, came up with the High School Cafe business idea. At the cafe, high school students sell baked goods produced by the Grade 8 class. "It came out of a math lesson."

Students who run the cafe deal with buying products. That means tackling how to cut costs, and what to do with profits.

Often, says Elliott, the money made goes to a community cause. For example, he says, someone who may need to fly to another community because a relative is ill, can get help from cafe funds.

In fact, the cafe could serve as a springboard for other new business ideas, according to Elliott. There's discussion about taking the cafe beyond the school and setting up a bed and breakfast in the community. The cafe could also sponsor a Web site where carvers could show their works, Elliott said.

Students who run the cafe have been invited to a conference in Toronto in May. Organizers want them to give a presentation on the operation and the transition from school to work environment.

As for the trade show, Elliott said he doesn't want to think about not going because of money. He'd rather consider taking his class every year.

And he'd also like to see the cafe go to the trade show as a participant.