Antigonish, NS (February 20, 2008) - A team of students from St. Francis Xavier University have put together a creative way to raise awareness for AIDS as well as promote entrepreneurship as a viable career path through a business plan competition aimed at local high school students called “Aids Awareness Project”.

Over the course of 10 weeks, Dr. JH Gillis High School students will learn the effects of AIDS, be given the tools to build a business plan as well as given the opportunity to showcase their business and presentation skills to a panel of judges. The group that exemplifies the best entrepreneurial skills will be named the competition champion and be given the right to launch their business idea into the community with all proceeds going to a charity that helps orphans in Ethiopia. 

The main objective of this business plan competition is to increase awareness of the economical and social effects of HIV/AIDS while raising funds for African countries in need of prevention programs, health care services, and family support groups.

This group of students has learned the fundamental basics of entrepreneurship through their involvement with the annual “TD SIFE Entrepreneurship Challenge” proudly presented by TD Bank Financial Group an operated by national charitable organization, ACE. 

This undertaking is just one of the many projects this student team will complete this year as part of their direct involvement with Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), the team based program operated by ACE in Canada that empowers students to create economic opportunity in their communities by teaching others about market economics, entrepreneurship, success skills, financial literacy and business ethics.

Each year over 50 student teams from across Canada will showcase their projects to a panel of business executives at regional and national rounds of competition. The regional round of competition where the St. Francis Xavier University team will show the results of their “AIDS Awareness Project” will take place on March 7th at the 2008 ACE Regional Exposition in Halifax at the World Trade and Convention Centre from 9am to 5pm.

For more information:

Jennifer Falzon
Director, Communications and Events 
ACE (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship)
Tel: 416-304-1566 Ext. 220 | Toll free: 1-800-766-8169
Mobile: 416-529-4093 | Fax: 416-864-0514
jfalzon@acecanada.ca
www.acecanada.ca

Dorian Burns-Coyne
Project Leader Aids Awareness
St. FX University team
902-735-5204
X2004bcz@stfx.ca
www.aidsawarenessproject.com

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