in partnership with
STUDY & STAY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
ABOUT
Study and Stay Entrepreneurship Program is a partnership between EduNova Cooperative Ltd., and Post-Secondary Institutions from across Nova Scotia. The program supports international student entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia through networking, skill development, and resource sharing, to further the success of our growing economy.
Stay, work, and live in Nova Scotia!
International Student Industry Hackathon
Import and Export
Join experts as they discuss import export challenges they face and present a challenge to be solved through an asynchronous hackathon.
The top 3 finalists will have the chance to win up to $3,000 in seed funding to implement their solution
September 7, 2022: Panel Discussion | 6pm ADT
September 8 – 16, 2022: Asynchronous Hackathon
September 16, 2022: Deadline to submit your pitch video to participate in the Final Competition
Panelists & Judges: To be announced
The Entrepreneurial Experience Program
The Entrepreneurial Experience skill building bootcamp will run from May – August 2022 (14 weeks) under the umbrella of Study and Stay Entrepreneurship Program. The opportunity provides international student entrepreneurs with a transformational learning experience, while offering an opportunity to focus on the development of their own business while surrounded by resources. If you own a business or have an idea and are looking for support to help move your business forward this summer, apply to the Study and Stay Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurial Experience today!
Program participants will:
- Work on their business and hit milestones
- Develop entrepreneurial skillsets Participate in the pitch club
- Gain support from the Study and Stay Entrepreneurship advisory team, coaching and resources
- Attend weekly meetings with the mentors to provide updates on their business
*Recognizing the need to cover expenses as they run their business while foregoing traditional employment income, each participant will receive a grant for completing certain milestones throughout the program, with a total of up to $4,000 of funding for their business. Participants will be encouraged to apply for and participate in networking events, associations and other activities that will help them expand their reach and professional network. An additional $500 grant per participant will be given at the start of the program to help them pay for initial business costs.
Program Timeline and Milestones
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be international students studying at a Nova Scotian post-secondary institution, enrolled at one of the following institutions:
- Acadia University
- Cape Breton University
- Dalhousie University (Either Campus)
- Mount Saint Vincent University
- Nova Scotia Community College
- NSCAD University
- St. Francis Xavier University
- Saint Mary’s University
- Universite Sainte-Anne
- University of King’s College
- While there is no set GPA (Grade Point Average) requirement, students are expected to be in good academic standing and to have contributed to their academic and social communities.
- Participants are required to complete program tasks and activities during the Entrepreneurial Experience and achieve certain milestones to receive the grant.
- Applicants must have a valid study permit. Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents do not qualify for the program.
- You must have a LinkedIn profile.
* Under specific circumstances, this Entrepreneurial Experience may qualify as a cooperative education or an internship opportunity. Please reach out to your school’s international student affairs office and co-operative education office to discuss.
The program cannot provide you with any kind of work authorization for running your own business, please confirm your eligibility with your Registered International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in your campus or institution. You should also be sure that you are able to accept the grant based on your permit. It is your responsibility to determine if your study visa allows you to participate in the program, please check before applying.
In case of any concerns or doubts, feel free to reach out to Chirag Narang, Project Coordinator at: chirag.narang@smu.ca
MORE RESOURCES
Entrepreneurship
Students who have an interest in entrepreneurship and want to make an impact should highly consider joining the ENACTUS. Using entrepreneurial and innovative mindsets, students, faculty, and local business people work together to transform lives and promote sustainable development.
To find out more about ENACTUS, visit: https://enactus.org/
Below are links that will direct you to each ENACTUS society webpage at the following institutions:
The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 16,000+ influential business owners with 198 chapters in 61 countries. Founded in 1987, EO is the catalyst that enables leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow, leading to greater success in business and beyond. The EO Atlantic Chapter was founded in 2010. The Chapter works with over 85 entrepreneurs from across Atlantic Canada to help them reach their potential as leaders within their business, family, community, and life. For more information, visit here.
Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre
At multiple schools within Nova Scotia, some will have Entrepreneurship Centers. These Centers are there to provide students with support services to individuals wanting to start and grow businesses. Through consulting, training, and mentoring, students can cultivate their ideas and build connections with professionals in their field.
The Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre is committed to supporting rural entrepreneurs. By providing advisory, training, and professional development, and incubation services, the Centre aims to help businesses grow and reach their goals. Whether it be individuals or teams, the Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre welcomes all.
Launch Box
Launch Box is the place for students at Acadia University to tap into their entrepreneurial mindset, develop and hone their problem-solving skills, and creative thinking techniques in demand by leading employers and applicable to real-world problems.
Accessible to students of all fields of study, participants have access to networking, access to mentors, entrepreneurs, working space, events, and competitions.
Norman Newman Entrepreneurship Centre
The Norman Newman Centre for Entrepreneurship aims to promote entrepreneurship through innovative curriculum, applied research and working collaboratively with external resources (outreach).
Dal Innovates
DAL Innovates provides opportunities for students and faculty at Dalhousie University and other Atlantic Canadian institutions. These individuals can explore and experience innovation and entrepreneurship and develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to translate new ideas into innovations.
Path2Innovation
Path2Innovation (P2I) is a three-day program open to graduate students, faculty and post-doctoral individuals throughout Atlantic Canada. Participants will be able to explore the value of entrepreneurial thinking as a means of developing careers and advancing research, innovations and ideas into impacts.
Lab2Market
The Lab2Market Program is a 16-week program to help researchers validate their ideas with the purpose of finding business and/or commercial value.
Ready2Launch
Ready2Launch is a summer accelerator for students and researchers who are determined to grow their ventures. Through this accelerator program, students will be able to learn to find funding opportunities for their venture. They will also be able to cultivate and develop their leadership skills, improve their business understanding and abilities, learn to run and grow their business.
For students interested in Ready2Launch, they can check out the Info Package.
RBC Centre for Women in Business
The RBC Centre for Women in Business aims for providing women the chance to develop and enhance their entrepreneurial skill sets by providing mentoring and learning opportunities needed to succeed in the field.
MSVU Spark Zone (co-ed)
The Spark Zone Ignition Program is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship across different post-secondary institutions, including Mount Saint Vincent University. Spark Zone provides participants (both students and community members) with opportunities to create and innovate business ideas through coaching and consulting services, workshops, conferences, and other networking events. Individuals will also have the chance to compete in pitch competitions.
Click here to register for Spark Zone
The Creative Entrepreneurship Lab
The Creative Entrepreneurship Lab at NSCAD provides the opportunity for artists and designers to create a sustainable business. Students who participate in this program have access to workshops, advisory services, financial advising, mentoring, and access to networking events. Along with this, the Creative Entrepreneurship Lab’s sponsor-TD Bank group provide a program these students. The TD Financial Literacy Program for Creative Entrepreneurs allows NSCAD student entrepreneurs to gain more insight into topics such as:
- Market Analysis and Business Models
- Legal Aspects of Business
- Financing
- Investment
- Risk Management
- Succession Planning
- Mentorship
- Network-Building
To learn more about the program, students can visit the school’s website or email them at thelab@nscad.ca.
Success at Schwartz
Working collaboratively the STFX Gerald Schwartz School of Business and Health and Wellness Centre, business students are provided with resources to help them succeed in their program. Some services accessible to students are:
- Instruction and coaching on correct and compelling business writing
- i.e., case study reports and full business plans
- Assistance with professional communication
- email correspondence
- presentation development and delivery
To book an appointment, students can do so by visiting the Success at Schwartz webpage here.
Schwartz School of Business
- Entrepreneurship: https://business.stfx.ca/programs/entrepreneurship
Schwartz Women in Business Society
One of the most well-known societies at STFX, the Women in Business Society provides career development and recruitment opportunities for all business students. This society also hosts events that support diversity, gender equality, and educate on the topic.
Saint Mary’s Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC)
The Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre creates opportunities to connect students with businesses through training, mentorship, coaching and consulting activities. With a focus on growth, innovation and cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset, the Centre is committed to helping the Atlantic Canadian economy grow and prosper.
Starting Point
The Starting Point Student Entrepreneurship Conference brings together entrepreneurial students from post-secondary institutions from across Atlantic Canada. Students will get to attend guest speaker events, gain insight from experts in their field, and earn for their business by taking part in a pitch competition.
Spark Zone Ignition
A Sandbox Ignition 12-week program offering resources to students developing and testing ideas and launching entrepreneurial ventures. Students are given the chances to hone their entrepreneurial skills and tap into their innovative mindset. A variety of events are hosted throughout the year at which students connect with like-minded peers, potential mentors, and industry experts.
To participate, you must be a student at any post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia.
Participants will have access to the following:
- Mentorship
- Roundtables
- Seminars and Workshops
- Price: $20 per session attended
- Networking opportunities
- Building business ideas
Entrepreneurial Mindset Certificate
The Entrepreneurial Mindset Certificate is a free training program offered to students attending Saint Mary’s University. The program aims to help students adopt an entrepreneurial mindset through workshops where students will develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills, cultivate, and build ideas.
International Student Think Tank
The Saint Mary’s Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC), partnered with the V-Care International Student Success Society to launch the International Student Think Tank Program. This is a seven-month program which aims to engage international students and help them learn about the local business community.
Students who are accepted into the International Student Think Tank will:
- Receive 1 week of in-class training and workshops.
- Apply and compete to work on the consulting projects for 5 local businesses, solving the businesses’ issues with fresh perspectives and skills. Students will provide these companies with insight and access to new markets.
- Participants will receive ongoing coaching and additional training throughout the duration of the projects.
To apply for the program, click here.
CUBE
CUBE is a part of the Nova Scotia Sandbox Program, aiming to support and cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets. There are multiple CUBE programs within the province, Saint-Anne’s focusing on Bio-Innovation. Post-secondary students from any field of study are welcome to join the Cube initiatives and are encouraged to work collaboratively while inspiring each other. With Saint-Anne’s being a bilingual school, they also offer many of their activities and sessions in both French and English.
Student Life
For new and returning students attending school at post-secondary institutions in Nova Scotia, they do have the option of following up with their school’s health plan or opting out of it and choosing an alternative.
To find out more regarding each school’s Health Plan, click on any of the preferred links below:
Having a Nova Scotia Identification Card is highly recommended for students coming to study and stay in the province. This card will have your date of birth and your picture. In situations you may be required to provide valid pieces of identification, these cards are very useful.
Identification Cards can be obtained through from Service Nova Scotia division of Access Nova Scotia. This card will be valid for 5 years, after which you will need to renew it.
IMPORTANT: Application for an ID Card must be done in-person.
The following are required to obtain your ID Card:
– Passport with a valid study permit
– Student ID card
– $17.70 (fee for the card)
– An additional piece of identification (I.e., a passport or a bank card with a signature)
A study permit gives students permission to study in Canada for more than six months. To apply for a study permit you will need to contact the nearest Canadian Visa Office with the following pieces of information:
- Acceptance letter to your post-secondary institution
- A valid passport
- Proof of financial support (I.e., bank statements, scholarship letters etc.)
On-Campus Housing
All institutions provide students with access to some on-campus housing. Resident building profiles and details are accessible to students on the designated school’s web pages. There, you can find information regarding:- Residence building sizes
- Room options
- Meal plans Amenities in residence Fees per semester
Off-Campus Housing
If choosing to stay off-campus, some schools will have separate housing options for students that are not a part of the formal residence buildings on-campus. Each institution has information posted regarding off-campus housing options.Each institution provides students with a webpage on the school website with lists of all internal and external scholarships and bursaries. Deadlines and criteria for edibility are provided along with brief information about the awards.
Go to the Financial Aid page of your chosen institution
Nova Scotia offers many different options for students to work in Canada.
NEED MORE?
If you still require further information or personal assistance please contact us here.
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