“The Junior Entrepreneur Programme (JEP) is an entrepreneurial awareness and skills enhancement programme for Primary School children. The programme aims to help children recognise enterprise and entrepreneurship and to foster an awareness and understanding of the entrepreneur’s role in the community, therefore empowering the child to start to think and act with the initiative, creativity and independence that are invaluable in the modern world. The programme is embedded in the principles of the Primary School Curriculum and utilises an integrated teaching and project-based approach to teach many strands of the Primary Curriculum.” (http://www.juniorentrepreneur.ie)

Our fifth class pupils of 2013/2014 were the first class to take part in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme, and the pupils from St. Teresa’s N.S. have taken part many times since then. 

Firstly, the children discuss what an entrepreneur is, and think about what characteristics and skills would be necessary to be a successful entrepreneur. The pupils then break into groups and discuss ideas for a class project. Each group present their project to the ‘Dragons’ who put them through their paces and after some deliberation chose the project which they feel has the most potential for the whole class to get involved in.

The programme has a significant personal development impact on the children including building their confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem, and an appreciation of each of their individual skills and talents. This innovative programme will open the minds of the pupils to the joy of entrepreneurship at a time when they are full of imagination and open to new possibilities. The programme will help our pupils to develop a number of skills including literacy, writing, presentation, drawing, technology, research skills, numeracy, financial, consumer awareness, storytelling, listening skills, creative thinking, problem solving, team building and collaboration skills.