Vickie is an Entrepreneur
Child and Youth Study graduates with a dream to one day open their own business will be inspired by the progress that Vickie has made since graduating with a BA in Applied Child and Youth Study.
Vickie leads her business as an administrator and Directress of a unique private preschool that follows the Montessori educational philosophy and provides French programming. The Montessori philosophy encourages peer-learning by mixing the age-groups in a setting where ‘work cycles’ are a part of a routine that also includes daily activity in the outdoor classroom and a group lunch.
Throughout her coursework, Vicki was exposed to many different opportunities in the Child and Youth profession. She remembers reading articles that exposed her to the breadth of career pathways. Although she was committed to pursuing Montessori training after her degree, she was enthusiastic in exploring practicum opportunities, including one in restorative youth justice. To this day, Vickie refers back to the textbook from her fourth year Administration class recalling that the exposure to elements of business ownership and funding sources was valuable.
“Take the intro child and youth care course very seriously and really get a good idea about what is available,” Vicki advises to upcoming child and youth students.
Trained in the AMI Montessori philosophy, Vickie provides an “education for life” to children ages three to six years. Families with children enrolled in the program are not looking for childcare services; rather, they are looking for foundational educational opportunities for their young children. The Montessori philosophy encourages peer-learning by mixing the age-groups in a setting where ‘work cycles’ are a part of a routine that also includes daily activity in the outdoor classroom and a group lunch. Throughout the day, The Directress engages with children, parents, teachers, as well as business professionals such as lawyers, accountants and business planners.
Challenges are a part of any professional workday. “It is challenging, but I also say that it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had,” says Vickie. “If I wasn’t a business owner I would have never learned so much.” Vickie says one of the most rewarding things about running the school is working with her clients. “That’s really rewarding for me not only as a teacher, but as a business owner because I hear both aspects of it.”
“For business growth, it’s important to listen to recommendations of your clients,” says Vicki. “The parents have been urging us to put on camps for their older children, so we’re looking at starting some camps over the summer that will be under Montessori Monarch, but a whole different business.”
She sees a high demand for quality child and youth programs and services and feels that for those with a Child and Youth Study degree and an entrepreneurial spirit, many opportunities exist to develop new businesses and provide sought after services to the community.