'Shop Till You Drop' at Talbot Hill

March 2001 - It's easy to see the results of student learning at Talbot Hill. All you need to do is stop by during a Ventures Program Marketplace. Ventures is an academic-based, Micro-Society learning program in which students create businesses of their own in an assigned career strand. On Thursdays, from 2:40 pm to 3:15 pm, students set up a school marketplace to sell products and services to potential customers.

The businesses and services are primarily found in the gym and cafeteria, but additional activities such as plays, dance performances, banking services, court trials are located throughout the school building. On March 8, the school held a special marketplace for school board members and other invited guests to get a first-hand look at the program. Each guest received $50 worth of complimentary 'cool cash,' the school's currency, to purchase products. Some of the most popular businesses included the new 'Plants for You' career strand, a humanities strand featuring The ACT (Acting Children of Talbot) and Tiger Fun Center which designs and builds carnival-style games. A student salesperson, Melinda, described her classes' planting kit that included seed packets, dirt/soil, and a hand-decorated pot. "It's easier for people to grow things if they purchase the kit," she said. "It's also cheaper because we discounted the price if you purchase the items together." Now, she's got the makings of a true business person. If you'd like to visit a marketplace, Talbot Hill is holding an Open House/Marketplace on March 29 at 6:30 pm at 2300 Talbot Road South.