Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Warm Welcome to Experiential Learning BTI , December 2017 By Emily Su

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” - Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics

After a brief introduction to entrepreneurship, we broke off into groups, where we started to brainstorm business ideas. We started off by listing the wide variety of issues that we face, from something as small as losing your glasses to something as large as food insecurity, because oftentimes, the best ideas stem from problems that we face. After coming up with a substantial list of issues, we came up with products and services that would solve these problems. Lots of great business ideas came up, such as non-electric phone chargers, a suitcase rental service at the airport, and glasses trackers. In the end, my team choose to tackle the issue of the lack of large dog costumes for Halloween. Our solution for this issue was to launch a business that specializes in costumes for large dogs. These ideas were challenged by various aspects, such as economic issues to geographical issues, which allowed my team and I to think critically about our idea. After listing possible roadblocks to our business, we revised our idea over and over again until we were completely satisfied with it. Next, we conducted research on thing s such as the target market and competitors to create a business proposal. Similar to a Dragon’s Den pitch, each team presented their business idea for five minutes with a two-minute question and answer period. By the end of the day, every group prepared and presented their amazing business ideas. It was inspiring to know that we accomplished so much in such a short period of time. My Day 9 experience pushed me to think critically about business ideas, inspired confidence and a sense of achievement, but most importantly, uncovered a developing passion for entrepreneurship. I believe that Day 9 experiences allow you to explore the world around you and your place in the world. Experiential learning allows you to learn valuable life lessons that cannot be taught in a traditional classroom setting but must be learned by doing. Day 9 is when you can let loose, try some thing new or pursue your interest, and maybe even find your new passion! I urge you all to truly embrace Day 9s and make the most of them.

This year, Havergal warmly welcomed experiential learning opportunities by launching new Day 9 experiences. On the four Day 9s this school year (October 10th, November 28th, February 15th, and April 24th), students from the Junior School and Upper School have the amazing opportunity to participate in countless co-curricular learning activities, both within and beyond Havergal’s ivy walls. The goal for Day 9 is to align the school’s values of integrity, inquiry, compassion, and courage, and the mission of preparing young women to make a difference through learning by doing. Day 9 experiences range from Circus Camp (leaping outside of your comfort zone) to Urban Indigenous Partnerships (collaborating to increase cultural understanding) to a Leadership Accelerator (reflecting on your capability to be a leader within each of HC’s five domains of leadership), allowing every girl to explore something new or to deepen her understanding of an existing passion. In October, I participated in the Entrepreneurship 101 Day 9 experience, where I had the incredible opportunity to create a business idea and pitch a formal business proposal. This experience was led by Sean Dempsey and Heather Burns, the founders of the Two in Ten idea incubator. We started off the day by learning about what entrepreneurship is and the challenges entrepreneurs face. One surprising fact that l learned was that businesses price their products or services the way they do because the retail price (the price that consumers pay) is four times the cost of landed goods (goods that have been manufactured and shipped)!

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