The Junior Entrepreneur Awards showcase took place in the RDS this week, we spoke with co-founder Jerry Kennelly and RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes - watch our interview above.
"One learns by doing and at 11 and 12 years of age, they’re investors, they’re entrepreneurs," said Jerry Kennelly, co-founder of the JEP.
Jerry didn’t do the Leaving Cert himself, instead, he learned a lot of what he later practised by working in his family business in County Kerry.
He believes that the Junior Entrepreneur Programme allows students to experience the same sort of operational practical skills of making things happen and getting over all the tortures that entrepreneurs go through to have a great result at the end.
He explained: "Lots of teachers say that it engages children that are perhaps not the highest academic performers. It reveals new kinds of creativity, new forms of intelligence in those children and they get to experience success and confidence."
What Kennelly loves to see from JEP is a young person telling him about their passion for a project - that they’ve taken a basic simple idea and turned it into a reality.
Every child in the programme has an idea, they pitch it in their class and to their 'Dragons'. They finally refine it down to one single idea that they then invest in and, hopefully, come out with a profit.
An incredible 3,500 children of the 12,000 participants from all across Ireland took part in the final showcase in the RDS on Monday. ‘Marching the Map’ from Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir, Arklow was crowned 'Top Class' for their bilingual board game.
We spoke with Director-General of RTÉ, Dee Forbes, at the event where she explained why the showcase was so important to RTÉ.
"As RTÉ, we're delighted to be involved with the Junior Entrepreneur Programme. And why? Because it touches every part of the country. Kids from all over the country are here, you can see it, the excitement.
"I think what's wonderful about this initiative is that it is available to any school around the country and encouraging our kids to think creatively and to be entrepreneurs.
"I'm already hearing that the profits from this years scheme are way up which is amazing because when kids think about something at a young age it will stay with them...
"Who knows where these kids will all go on to and I think for RTÉ we're very proud to be involved."
