On October 27th, we held our annual Appreciation Dinner for the Prodigy Group Mentorship Program, as a time to celebrate the success of our mentorship matches for 2011, as well as thank our mentors for all of their time and support they provided and continue to provide to our emerging business leaders. The Executive House Hotel hosted the night’s event, where we heard from special guest speaker Mel Cooper, and presented the appreciation awards to the mentors. It was a very inspiring event; we are all looking forward to continuing to grow the Mentorship Program through 2012 and into the future.

Check out the great photos of the event:

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In partnership with Prodigy Group, and in celebration of Small Business Month in British Columbia, Junior Achievement is teaching youth in the Capital Region the basics of business. During October, 240 elementary school aged youth will be introduced to the concepts of business organization, management, production and marketing through Junior Achievement’s Business Basics program. The program is being facilitated in Victoria school classrooms by young entrepreneurs – members of Victoria’s own Prodigy Group.

“Working in partnership with the Prodigy Group enables us to encourage entrepreneurial aspirations among our local youth. “ said Deborah Wakeham, Regional Manager, Vancouver Island Junior Achievement of British Columbia. “These young business people have so much knowledge and experience to share – the Prodigy Group is able to inspire students to think about business in our community and business in the future.”

The Prodigy Group is a committee of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. It is a professional networking group that provides emerging professionals with social networking events, professional mentorship relationships, and community involvement opportunities. The committee also donates proceeds from their events to the Junior Achievement’s Business Basics program and Community Micro Lending.

“Community involvement is incredibly important for any young professional” said an excited Josh Hample, “getting the opportunity to help develop the next generation of business leaders with Junior Achievement is absolutely an honour to be a part of.” Josh is facilitating the Business Basics program and participates in the Prodigy Group Mentoring Program where selected leaders in the Chamber of Commerce business community mentor Prodigy Group members.

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating young people about business.  With over 120 charters worldwide, JA brings a global view of business to local communities. JA programs help prepare students for the real world as they learn how to apply entrepreneurial thinking in the workplace, learn financial and money management concepts and understand the importance of an education as it relates to their long term career goals.

The Junior Achievement Business Basics program puts students in charge of making big decisions in different areas of a small business.  Students put their talents to the test in the organization, management, production and marketing of their very own companies. Students get a taste of real world business challenges and discover the value of teamwork. On Vancouver Island, Junior Achievement reaches over 6,000 students annually, with the help of over 200 volunteers from the business community. During the 2010/11 school year, more than 250 programs were provided in the region.

The partnership between JA and Prodigy Group results in the nurturing and mentoring of young entrepreneurs which leads to innovative industries, new jobs and wealth creation. The program ultimately encourages entrepreneurship, which is an asset to the region’s economy and a priority of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

Prodigy’s May mingle shone a spotlight on the value of leadership and contribution in our community. As one of the pilars of Prodigy, the Mentorship Committee deemed May Mentorship month and used the mingle as a vehicle to showcase our matches, and communicate the importance of relationship. CHEK was a superb host as over 120 people gathered to participate in studio tours, interviews with the CHEK news team, and to eat with some of Victoria’s finest community leaders. CHEK was also very generous in providing a door prize of two nights accommodation in Tofino.

The excitement for this event grows every year, and this year we were lucky to have Cedric Steele provided the keynote address. He urged all minglers to take a stake in our community and look to each other for inspiration and resources. Prodigy’s own mandate mimics Cedric’s thoughts, as we hope that one day Prodigy members will work together to be leaders in our fair city.

Many thanks and much gratitude for all that attended!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 12th

Come celebrate the power of mentorship at the Prodigy Group’s second annual May Mentorship Mingle! Chamber Members, Prodigy Members and non-members of all ages are encouraged to attend with their mentors/mentees to network and share mentorship success stories.

Please RSVP mingles@prodigygroup.ca

When: Thursday, May 12th 2011, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: CHEK News 780 Kings Road, Victoria, BC

Featuring special guest speaker Mr. Cedric Steele, 2011 recipient of the Greater Victoria Business Awards Governors’ Lifetime Achievement Award.