Student-led company is tackling ocean pollution through video games
Ocecho aims to motivate people to think about the environmental consequences of their actions, with support from JA British Columbia (JABC)
Plastics, microplastics and pesticides are just some of the countless contaminants that are endangering the health of the world’s waters and the very planet itself. A newly launched youthled Vancouver-based company is designing a video game to educate kids about the pressing global issue of ocean pollution.
“We wanted to create an idea of how to spread awareness of ocean pollution, and thought of doing a video game that can help educate students and children about it so that we can prevent and stop it,” says Mary Zhuang, CEO of Ocecho, which she runs with six business partners. Her team wanted to do something to put an end the dire problem and motivate young people to think about the environmental consequences of their actions.
“We are all passionate about life underwater and want to prevent further damage to the ocean,” Zhuang says.
Underlining Ocecho’s mission are the United Nations Development Programme’s Sustainable Development Goals. Six of the company’s
seven partners are still in high school, Zhuang among them; the other has recently started university.
“We plan to launch our game this summer,” says Zhuang, who’s in Grade 12 at University Hill Secondary School. “Right now we are focusing on how we can perfect it. When we launch, we’ll do more marketing. We want to spread this game not only among our peers but youth across the community.”
The students’ early entry into the business world came about through JA British Columbia (JABC). The non-profit organization has been proudly serving students across the province for 65 years through a vast selection of educational programs focusing on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Through partnerships with educators and volunteers from local businesses, JABC offers important interactive, hands-on learning experiences to students in Grades 4 to 12 free of charge in all communities across the province.
Max Lane, manager of advisory services–associates and client relationship manager at Nicola Wealth, has been a volunteer with JABC for nearly a decade. During the 2020-21 school year, he mentored the student-led Ocecho team through the JA Company Program, which gives secondary-school students the knowledge needed to organize, operate and eventually dissolve an actual business enterprise. Like other JA programs, JA Company Program is curriculum-linked, student-centred
and skills-focused and can be delivered in-school or as an after-school club.
By doing everything from incorporating a business and selling shares to establishing a board of directors and maintaining financial records, participants learn what risks and rewards come with owning a business and how to build positive relationships with the community.
While not all ventures continue after the JA program has ended, as Ocecho has, it is just one example of how impactful this kind of practical learning opportunity for youth can be.
“I like being one of the people to create an environment for students to learn and explore and even fail successfully,” Lane says. “It’s a safe space for them to understand how companies work; it allows them to experience things for the first time that they wouldn’t otherwise see.
“It lets them appreciate the value of assets and what capital is,” he adds. “Financial literacy needs to be in schools, and students need resources for that.”
The benefits of the program aren’t limited to the students. Lane has experienced rewards that have made his involvement an invaluable part of his professional career and personal growth.
“The products that come out of the program are wildly different, but I always get a lot of inspiration from the students themselves,” Lane says. “Entrepreneurship is about being resourceful and creating value out of nothing.”
“Volunteering is one of the single most important things I’ve ever done in my life,” he adds. “It led me down this road and provided a lot of personal fulfillment, having that opportunity to make an impact for the next generation. Seeing these bright students and what’s coming down the pipeline is very inspiring.”
JABC is a member of JA Canada and JA Worldwide, which remains among the most impactful NGOS in the
world. The organization will be celebrating many of its successes at the 16th annual Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame Gala Dinner and Induction Ceremonies on June 7.
For the business leaders of the future like Zhuang and her partners, JABC provides a learning experience that extends beyond the business world.
“We learned about marketing strategies and how to prepare the business plan, and we also learned how to do better teamwork and collaboration,” Zhuang says. “That was one of the keys, because most of us had never met before. We not only learned about how we can process a business but we also got mentorship and new friends. That’s pretty special.”
To learn more about volunteering for or supporting JA British Columbia, visit jabc.ca.