PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs receives a $20,000 community board grant from TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, supporting the Engaging Students with PYE project

Funding will help 750 underserved youth in the interior and northern BC to create their own pathways to success as they participate in a highly engaging and transformative learning experience

Surrey, British Columbia, January 21, 2025 - Today, PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs announced that TELUS Friendly Future Foundation® has donated $20,000, through the TELUS Interior and Northern BC Community Board, contributing towards PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs’ efforts in empowering youth to become more adaptable, innovative and resilient lifelong learners.

“Today's classrooms have become increasingly complex and present unique challenges and opportunities for educators,” said Bill Roche, Executive Director of PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs. “Creating an inclusive environment that respects and values all students is essential. PowerPlay cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset in students so that they can lead fulfilling lives where they view mistakes as learning experiences and reach their full potential.”

This funding will empower 750 BIPOC, newcomer and other equity-deserving youth to create their own pathways to success as they participate in a highly engaging and transformative learning experience. Throughout the project, about 15 school-based showcases will be held where approximately 3,000 other students will be exposed to entrepreneurship by attending these events and seeing the young entrepreneurs in action.

“Through our partnerships with charities supporting equity-deserving youth, we understand the importance of learning opportunities that foster an entrepreneurial mindset and enable their future success,” said Nimtaz Kanji, Executive Director of TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. “We are proud to support PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs with a Community Board grant that will give  underserved students the tools they need to build businesses and reach their full potential.”

For more information on PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs and the Engaging Students with PYE project, please visit powerplay4success.com. For more information on TELUS Future Foundation, visit friendlyfuture.com.

About Young Entrepreneurs of Canada

Young Entrepreneurs of Canada Association (YE-Can) is a registered charity that helps students develop the mindset and skills needed to succeed in school and thrive in our rapidly changing world. The PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs (PYE) program features Canada's largest teacher-facilitated entrepreneurship project, having already reached over 150,000 students nationwide. Grades four to eight students have fun creating their own business ventures and are challenged to stretch their capabilities and explore new ways of thinking. They use design thinking (ideation, market research and prototyping) to develop products, write professional business plans, calculate financials and develop marketing materials. At the end of the program, students showcase their achievements at their school’s Young Entrepreneur Show, a dynamic event where they interact with customers, make sales and earn real money. They also donate a portion of their profits to a charity of their choice, which instills a sense of social responsibility.

About TELUS Friendly Future Foundation

TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is a Canadian registered charity that believes all youth, regardless of circumstance, deserve an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. That is why we’re committed to giving youth the opportunity to belong. By funding more than 500 charities each year that provide education and health programs, many enabled by technology, along with providing educational bursaries, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is helping more than two million youth in communities across Canada build skills, confidence, and feel a sense of belonging. In 2023 alone, we provided more than $9 million in grants to 550+ charitable programs across Canada, and close to $2 million in bursaries to 400+ post-secondary students experiencing financial need and who are committed to making a difference in their communities.

For more information on TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, visit friendlyfuture.com