The Burns Paiute Tribe (BPT) is Oregon’s smallest, most isolated Tribe. The Tribal reservation area is defined by small, rural communities isolated from urban amenities. Approximately 150 tribal members live on the reservation itself, with another two to three hundred living in the adjacent town of Burns (pop. 2,800). However, the Tribe has implemented numerous programs and projects to enhance quality of life for its members.
On June 10th & 11th, 2021 in partnership with ONABEN the Burns Paiute Tribe brought the Real Change Youth Business Camp to its community. This nationally administered camp teaches youth ages 10-18 the basic concepts of starting and operating a small business. It begins with the importance of selecting a name/brand image, and culminates at the end of the multi session program with an actual marketplace where the participants are able to create and sell their product to a customer base.
Participants at the Burns Camp earned a total of $396 through sales, Taco T’s and Sunset Drinks were a huge success, and customers were pleased with the quality and creativity of the products. As with all Real Change Camps participants get extremely excited about their business planning process, and feedback from parents and teachers is always positive. Oftentimes this is the first time that students have been exposed to entrepreneurship as a viable career option.
“I didn’t know I could make this much money just by starting so small!”-Trey Standingcrow (youth participant)
“It’s really great to see the community coming out to support our youth!”-Sarah Ghostdog (parent)
By bringing programs like Real Change to the Community, a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship is cultivated and long term it helps to build a “pipeline” of new businesses that will encourage growth and job opportunities within the Community.
If you are interested in bringing the Real Change Youth Camp to your community, contact us today at veronica@ONABEN.org!
