This past weekend, Kitselas and K5T hosted a youth entrepreneur camp with the creators of APTN’s Bear’s Lair and 24 local youth took part in the event.
Bears Lair is a TV show that showcases Indigenous entrepreneurs and promotes co-opetition over competition, and The Bears Lair Youth Entrepreneur Dream Camps build on those concepts with youth, according to organizers.
Gina Jackson Montgomery, co-creator of the Bears Lair Youth Entrepreneur Dream Camps, spoke with CFNR the purpose and impact of the camp.
The camp aims to break through barriers and stereotypes of Indigenous entrepreneurs and empower youth to become future leaders, Jackson Montgomery says, and they teach team building, financial literacy, negotiation skills, media training and life skills.
“The youth are the future and the future are youth,” Jackson Montgomery says, adding that they hope to inspire leadership among the youth.
“This is gonna teach kids skill sets that they can use forever,” she adds.
Jackson Montgomery hopes the Bear’s Lair camps will return to Terrace in the future.
