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KPU helps give young entrepreneurs something to YELL about in Surrey, region

Post-secondary credit for secondary students now offered
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Alumni speakers at a YELL event in 2019. The organization’s educational programs “empower youth with the skills, knowledge and network they will need to take on the future,” according to a webpost. (Photo: yellcanada.org)

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and YELL Canada have united to offer post-secondary credit for secondary students.

The agreement allows a faster start for young entrepreneurs eager to make their mark, according to those with the program, billed as “Canada’s first high school entrepreneurship course eligible for university credit,” with a goal of “providing youth with practical tools and experiences they need to succeed in the real world.”

YELL runs a full-year entrepreneurship program for student in Grades 10-12 in most Metro Vancouver school districts, including Surrey. Now, students who complete the YELL program will receive credit for the introduction to entrepreneurship course at KPU.

“The collaboration between secondary and post-secondary education is an important partnership in assisting young students to get the most out of their education,” said Stephanie Howes, dean of the Melville School of Business at KPU.

“One such way is for post-secondary institutions to recognize rigorous extra-curricular programs in high schools that set up students to be successful when choosing to continue their education at the university level. The YELL program is an excellent example of one of these programs.”

Maggie Sew, a graduate of KPU’s Wilson School of Design, says the YELL program gave her skills that helped her through university, and that students are responsible for how much they take away from the course.

“The flexible nature of the program gives students a taste of what independent learning is like in university,” Sew explained.

“My favourite aspect of the course was the self-directed learning process. This allowed each student to tailor the program to fit their learning speed and style. The time management skills that the YELL program has taught me provided a great foundation to start my education with at KPU.”

Sew said she has since built time-management and self-directed learning skills “to a highly productive level. These are incredibly important abilities to have in the fashion industry, an industry where designers are self-made and rely on their own efforts and skills to achieve their goals.”

Amit Sandhu, managing director of YELL Canada, said program operators “are thrilled to welcome KPU to the growing list of post secondary institutions recognizing the importance of entrepreneurial education by offering a credit opportunity for YELL alumni. This partnership provides YELL alumni with an opportunity to further develop and foster their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge at KPU.”

YELL Canada’s teachers include Brenden Graham in the Surrey school district.

“Every single week I think to myself, ‘I wish I had something like this when I was younger,’” Graham, a physical-education teacher at North Surrey Secondary, says in a testimonial posted to Yell Canada’s website (yellcanada.org). “YELL should be mandatory to take in every high school in our country.”



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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