Canberra’s favourite Sunday market, Old Bus Depot Markets and local business Edii, delivering real-world learning programs for young people, have teamed up to create a formal pathway that helps young makers and creators start marketing and selling their hand-crafted products to an eager Canberra audience.
On Sunday 25th September 2022, teen creatives from Edii’s Maker2Market 12 month pathway, will attend the Markets and two will start as student stallholders with their very own stall kicking off their journey as Canberra micro-businesses.
The Maker2Market program celebrates a milestone of 500 participants in the ACT and enables teens to learn business skills and have an experience of selling at Old Bus Depot Markets and over a 12 month period keep honing their skills to build and run a revenue generating business fuelled by their creative passion and skills just like adults.
Edii Founder, Charuni Weerasooriya said teens and parents understand the value of having learning experiences that are real-world based. Creating pathways for young people to explore their creative passion and test entrepreneurial skills sets them up for skills and careers for the future.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Canberra’s iconic Old Bus Depot Markets to offer a brand-new pathway for students in the ACT and surrounding region, it will be exciting for some of our Maker2Market graduates to become regular student stallholders through this new pathway with the Markets,” Charuni said.
“Our real-world learning approach and the formal pathway now in place with Old Bus Depot Markets is a way for young people to progress from our programs that enable them to learn, test the market and sell their products to take the next step to building sustainable businesses – just as adults do,” Charuni continued.
Old Bus Depot Markets Manager, Richard Vagi, said, “We’ve enjoyed watching the Maker2Market program grow since 2016, the support and guidance young people receive with the program is great. Forming a formal pathway with Edii’s Maker2Market program is a really worthwhile venture and gives creative kids greater opportunities than ever before to become young entrepreneurs, something we are keen to see happen.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the first few student stallholders on 25th September as they kick off becoming regular stallholders at the Markets. Alongside them will also be participants on the Maker2Market 12 month pathway who potentially will also become student stallholders with OBDM in the future,” Richard continued.
Edii’s Business Taster Experience is now taking enrolments for their upcoming school holiday program (Program 1: September 29th and 30th at University of Canberra, and Market Day at Old Bus Depot Markets, October 2nd. Program 2: October 4th and 5th at University of Canberra, Market Day at Old Bus Depot Markets October 9th). The Maker2Market business taster experience is a three-day course open to young people aged 10-17. This taster program helps young creatives to build critical life and entrepreneurial skills through real-world business life cycles.
For more information on the Maker2Market program and other Edii initiatives visit https://www.edii.com.au/. For more information on the Old Bus Depot Markets, visit www.obdm.com.au
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY – MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND:
Photo and interview opportunities are available with the young stallholders and their families, as well as Edii’s founder Charuni Weerasooriya and Old Bus Depot Markets Manager Richard Vagi.
What: Student stallholders first Market at Old Bus Depot Markets as part of Edii pathway program.
Where: Old Bus Depot Markets, 21 Wentworth Avenue Kingston, Canberra 2604
When: Sunday 25thth September 2022
Time: 9:30am sharp
RSVP: Please advise if you intend to attend.
MEDIA BACKGROUNDER
Edii was founded by Charuni Weerasooriya in 2016 to help young people in Canberra develop an entrepreneurial mindset and give them real-world learning experiences. Edii hopes that their initiatives will provide young people in Canberra and surrounding regions with a pathway to turn their creative passions into a revenue-generating business.
Edii runs several practical courses including its flagship, Maker2Market program – a three-day immersive program where young people aged 10-17 learn problem-solving by creating a micro-business, hand-made products, logos and understanding key business concepts such as defining an ideal customer, pricing, and selling their products at Old Bus Depot Markets.
More on Edii: www.edii.com.au
Media Contact PRE MAKER2MARKET DAY:
For more information, images or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Bonnie Ashley, Threesides Marketing – bonnie.ashley@threesides.com.au
Media Contact ON MAKER2MARKET DAY
Charuni Weerasooriya, Edii Founder, on 0416 094 172
Richard Vagi, OBDM Manager, on 0430 000 730