Summer Student Start Up Program Launched

Press Release                                                                                  

Attention: Education/Youth/Economic Development

Thursday, June 19, 2024                                                                                                                                                                

Saugeen Connects take on record-breaking numbers for their Saugeen Student Start-Up Program this summer

51 students granted an opportunity to try entrepreneurship for the summer months

NEUSTADT: This is the fifth year running the Saugeen Student Start-Up Program with Saugeen Connects, and the program has now provided over 250 students with start-up funding and interactive training/workshops to try entrepreneurship over the summer months.

This summer, 51 students have started 47 various businesses, including: body scrubs, natural lip balm, traditional Chinese dumplings, homemade crepes, beeswax lunch pouches, freeze dried candy, horse treats and kit, and other creative entrepreneurial businesses. The Saugeen Student Start-Up Program (SSUP) is offered to students within their catchment region who are in Grades 6-12.

The Student Start Up Program is made possible thanks to member municipalities and by acquiring private sector funding, and this year Saugeen Connects has raised a total of $24,450.

A big “Thanks” goes to our supporters; Bruce County, Grey County, Saugeen Economic Development Corporation, and Wellington County.

Thanks to our 5 Star Sponsors; Blessings to You Thrift and Gift Store, Hanover Bentick & Brant Agricultural Society, Hanover Raceway, Legion Branch 409 Palmerston, Libro Credit Union, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 102 Walkerton, and Nuclear Waste Management Organization.  

Thanks to our 3 Star Sponsors; Wellington North Youth Action Council, Germania Mutual Insurance, 88.7 The River, West Grey Durham Lions Club, and Hanover Lions Club.

Thank you to our 1 Star Sponsors; Neustadt & District Lions Club, Minto Chamber of Commerce, CMR Insurance, Palmerston Lions Club, Mildmay Chamber of Commerce, Buddsteel, Kin Canada Harriston Kinsmen Club, Stephen & Sue Townsend, JSW Heating Cooling & Refrigeration, Wightman, Meridian, RBC Royal Bank, The Hanover Chamber of Commerce and the Paisley Rotary Club.

Thank You for your commitment to the youth in the Saugeen Connects area.

Look for the Saugeen SSUP participants as they participate in; your local Farmer’s Markets, and at the student vendor markets at the Hanover Fair August 10^th and 11^th, and the Hanover Raceway on August 31st, 2024.

 In total;

• West Grey has five students join this year; Everett Wylie, Abigail Merpaw, Mitchell Galbraith, Abbey Collins and Hayley Kroeplin
• Four students are from Brockton; Dashiel Slosser-McLean, Ava Emke, Dillon Moran and Madison Johns.
• Four students are from South Bruce; Jordan Whytock, Willow Emon, Mason Jamieson and Savannah Calvert.
• Wellington North has nine students this year from their area; Carly Stevens, Hudson Breau, Gavin Levine, Reece Small, Henry Bolton, Jacob Rowley, Julia Baia, Livia Baia and Rylea Brace.
• Fifteen students from Minto; Abbygale Golley, Logan Foster, Briar Burnett, Blainne Enriques, Gariel Tshilongo, Abdulrahman Almohamad, Sydney Jacques, Marshall Hopf, Camilo Duran, Spirit Hamilton, Logan MacIntosh, Tovinia Stewart, Khaled al Hassan, Oakley Sharkey, and Elana Dilts.
• Thirteen students from Hanover; Olivia Koch, Grace Simpson, Adalyn Garland, Payton Reay, Ameera Haase, Norma Jandl, Ashlynn Lantz, Scarlet Jaime, Scott Peiman, Ada Edington, Theron Bouchard, Valentina Benavente, and Lucy Morris.
• Aaron-Elderslie has one student, Allyson Wilford.

SEDC and seven municipalities, Brockton, Hanover, Minto, Wellington North, West Grey, Arran-Elderslie, and South Bruce, banded together in a partnership to create a project called “Saugeen Connects.” The mission is to collaborate and positively impact area economic growth, support youth retention and development, support growth and retention of businesses, and integrate efforts to support workforce development and leverage immigrant attraction to the area as residents, workers, entrepreneurs, business owners, operators, and investors.

For more information and to get connected with SSUP youth, visit: saugeenconnects.com