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SIFE
By Scott Spence
As the first semester of my first year of four was just getting started, my teachers began to talk about this “SIFE thing”. They told me the program had never operated in Penticton and I would be the spearhead for its spread to the South Okanagan.
Some conversations later I decided I wanted to join the club. At first my hesitation was that I would be inundated with school work and then I was supposed to do SIFE stuff. But I soon realised that applying my school knowledge to SIFE and the projects we operate would help me understand the concepts and generally improve my business acumen.
The problem we faced in Penticton is that we had no one to guide us and show us the SIFE way. We had to figure it out. Luckily for us, and in SIFE fashion, there is a great number of dedicated students in Kelowna and Vernon who have got the SIFE bug and want to help us develop the team and improve our perspective of this extracurricular activity.
Now, my first year is coming to an end and our SIFE projects have began to come to an end and I have really started to see the benefits of this program in my studies, in my future career and of course in my community.
Our team of five individuals ran the Cambells Can Hunger Challenge food drive and the Windward Software’s Young Entrepreneurs competition this year in Penticton.
Our focus this year was to operate these programs successfully and start to create a foundation for SIFE in the Penticton campus. The food drive was very successful for us considering the number of students here and the dragons den competition is still currently under way, but very promising.
We gained several sponsorships and partnerships in the community including notables such as the Economic Development Commission of Penticton, the Okanagan Skaha school district and Windward Software.
Our goals for next year are to increase awareness of SIFE in the community and college, increase the number of members on our team and try to take on more projects to create a larger impact in Penticton and the Okanagan Valley.
Currently we are talking about expanding the Growing up Green program to Penticton, as well as getting involved in a micro-lending program for elementary students. The students create drawings and artwork, which they sell for profit, the profit, is then loaned to farmers in developing countries.
The final judging of the Windward Software’s Dragons Den Competition will conclude my first year of SIFE. I will enter next year with more vision and drive to get involved and make a greater impact. I am looking forward to working with the three campuses which form our one team of SIFE Okanagan and working towards a better Okanagan.
If anyone is interested in SIFE Okanagan or would like to talk about the Penticton projects feel free to contact me at: scott_spence5@hotmail.com or visit our website at: www.sifeokanagan.ca.
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The kids in the kelowna SIFE need to tone it down. SIFE is a great program but I went once and felt like I was joining a cult. The people at the KLO campus invloved with sife act like they own the place. Please keep the Pentiction SIFE from becoming a group of suck ups who want nothing more then regigintion
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Im not apart of SIFE nor do I attend OC, however I know a lot of the students on the team and have seen progress in the community because of their projects.
I don’t know what your definition of a cult is, but students who aspire to make positive change are not considered “cult” like in my eyes. In addition, to respond to SIFE members owning the place, a university or college is place were students should get involved and create a sense of community.
From what I have seen, SIFE Okanagan benefits all students and many students and businesses reach out to SIFE if they want a campus event or community project to occur.
SIFE along with other business competition teams and campus student groups helps to bring prestige to the College but also gives students an opportunity to take class room learning and apply it to real life situations.
I think you may have mistaken the team for a “cult who acts like they own everything” due to the sheer number of students involved in the organization. Ive seen the matching shirts and jackets and their logo plastered everywhere on the KLO OC campus but it’s called marketing.
So anyone who reads Rodgers comment Plz don’t feel like these students are suck ups who are wanting recognition rather think of them as students who actively making a difference in our our communities.
Please continue discussion on the forum: link