BUSINESS-savvy sixth class pupils in Timoleague National School got a top awards in this year’s Junior Entrepreneur Programme.
The students created Timoleague Times Past, Present and Future, a magazine about the people of the locality. Thoroughly researched and edited, the 64-page publication is packed with interviews with locals, as well as sketches, photos and puzzles. The pupils negotiated with shops in the village, and the local post office to stock the publication which was in huge demand both at home and abroad.
They received the Finance Wizards Award both for their ingenuity in funding the project and their impressive profit of €2,060.
Their class teacher, Anne McCarthy, said she was extremely proud of the work ethic and perseverance of the pupils.
In all 9,000 children have launched start-up businesses while still in primary school as part of the scheme.
Rachel Prochniak, Julie Cunningham and Marianne Keohane in their classroom in Timoleague. (Photo: Jerry Kennelly)
The pupils from almost 300 schools island-wide taking part in the 12th year of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme (JEP) experienced what it’s really like to be a start-up entrepreneur, doing market research and agonising over their final business plan before investing their own money and putting their business in motion. The pupils combined their innate creativity with the skills they developed on the programme to create original products and launch businesses ranging from board games to storybooks to high-end craft and educational products.
Beaumont Boys National School, Cork city and Bunscoil Rinn An Chabhlaigh in Cobh were other Cork schools to get awards.
Managing director of the programme, Marie Lynch said: ‘Participation by schools has returned to close to pre-pandemic levels and JEP has become a rite of passage for children in many primary schools before they move on to secondary school. Teachers indicate a huge increase in confidence and life skills as well as a strong reinforcement of the primary school curriculum in Maths, English, Art and SPHE.’
