Media releases

• Grade 4 students learning the business of lemonade

  Monday, June 03, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 3 June 2019 – R00098

  Local elementary students received a sweet introduction to entrepreneurship this spring while planning lemonade stands with the help of Brock University’s Goodman School of Business.

  Goodman Lemonade is leading Grade 4 students from Glynn A. Green Public School in Fonthill through the process of building a for-profit business. After being guided through the entrepreneurship basics, the students have been designing lemonade stands that will be set up at Brock University from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 in Jubilee Court.

  This is the third year the University has hosted Goodman Lemonade. Previously, Grade 4 students from Cardinal Newman Catholic Elementary School in Niagara Falls and Power Glen School in St. Catharines participated in the initiative run by Goodman Group Venture Development (formerly BioLinc) and student club Brock Innovation Group.

  “We want to introduce the concept of entrepreneurship at a young age,” said organizer Cassie Price, Goodman Group Venture Development Co-ordinator. “It’s also a great opportunity to have our student leaders work with the community.”

  Divided into seven teams, the students will compete to see which group can make the most profit with the $50 seed money they were given. The students will use the market research they completed to customize their product and stand to maximize their returns.

  For Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes, the event represents a chance to introduce basic business skills to young students early and get them exposed to what goes into running your own company.

  “The creativity and energy that comes from children who are having their first experience with an entrepreneurial venture is inspiring,” he said. “It underscores the importance of presenting alternative career options, such as running your own business, as early as possible.”

  The activity ties into the Grade 4 curriculum well, reinforcing concepts students have learned in class this year, including measuring volume, using decimal points, plotting data and making graphs.

  Dierk Mueller, one of the teachers participating this year, said he’s surprised at how much his students have enjoyed participating in Goodman Lemonade.

  “I knew they would like it, but they have taken it far more seriously than even I anticipated,” Mueller said. “My students ask me every day if they can work on their signs, the advertising and the planning.”

  With their menus finalized and pitches practised, it all comes down to the sale. The public and Brock community are invited to support these young entrepreneurs Thursday, June 6 at Brock’s Backyard BBQ in Jubilee Court from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Raptors’ success could change Canada’s sporting identity, says Brock expert

  Friday, May 31, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 31 May 2019 – R00097

  No matter what happens in the next two weeks, the fact the Toronto Raptors are in the NBA Finals could be a transformational moment in Canadian sports.

  Brock University Associate Professor of Sport Management Julie Stevens says Toronto’s success could be what allows basketball to challenge hockey as the predominant sport of identification for Canadians.

  “For a sport to become an ingrained part of Canadian nationalism, it must construct myths and stir imagination. Hockey had Paul Henderson’s goal in the 1972 Summit Series and now basketball has Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer beater,” Stevens says. “The question is, what will come of it? Will it replace Henderson and become this generation’s lore? Will everyone remember where they were when Leonard made his shot.”

  She says hockey has been lacking a magical moment that inspires the country.

  “The most recent two examples are probably Sidney Crosby’s game-winning goal in the 2010 Winter Olympics or Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime winner in 2014,” Stevens says.

  While basketball’s popularity is on the upswing, hockey participation is decreasing, and Stevens believes the Raptors’ success could mean those trajectories continue for each sport in this country.

  “Hockey is a bit selective and elite, where basketball has a strong social bond across different areas of class and race,” she says.

  Where hockey is part of Canada’s national identity because of the physical nature of the country — think icy, cold winters — basketball is becoming part of the national identity because of what makes Canada special.

  “The ‘We the North’ motto is about celebrating Canada’s diversity and boldness,” Stevens says.

  Further, a recent Statistics Canada report showed the highest percentage of Canada’s youth are in either western or northern Canada, and that 25 per cent of them are visible minorities.

  “That tells me that the Raptors’ reach through youth popularity is nationwide, not just in Toronto,” Stevens says.

  Associate Professor of Health Sciences Julie Stevens is available for interviews on the issue.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases