Even though its summertime, we haven’t let the heat slow us down! This year, St. Clair College began offering programs that started in the Spring and have been running throughout the Summer. We currently have over 2000 students taking classes at the Main Campus and even more are at the downtown location as well! Needless to say, we have been busy. Between June and July, we hosted over 5 workshops! In early June, we hosted an Open House for students, faculty and staff members to learn more about our facility and what type of resources and support we offer. On the same day, we held our second EPIC Connections Networking event, which aims to teach students how to network professionally while also allowing them to make meaningful connections with fellow students, faculty and community members. We also began regularly hosting a workshop called Nuts ‘N Bolts; The Basics of Starting a Small Business. This workshop is a short informative session to help people learn the fundamentals to getting started. We tackle questions like, how do I register for my business? Should I incorporate it? Do I need to collect HST? Sometimes it can be difficult to get started, so we try to make the experience a little easier!

In early July, we held our first Public Speaking workshop, which aims to help students get a little more comfortable talking in front of an audience. It was a fantastic two-hour event which encouraged students to step out of their comfort zone and give a couple quick presentations. In mid-July, we held our second Lunch and Learn with Entrepreneurs which featured three St. Clair College graduates who started their own business. This workshop is set up in a panel discussion format. The three panellists discussed what they love about being an entrepreneur, some of the struggles they’ve found along the way, and most importantly, their biggest accomplishments so far. As a young entrepreneur, it can be difficult to make the entrepreneurial leap, but our panelists gave us some great advice: let it happen organically, believe in yourself and surround yourself with likeminded people who will lift you up and encourage you to be the best you. In the last couple weeks of July, St. Clair College students will begin their final exams. The month of August will be a little slow here at EPIC Genesis, but we are planning to go full force come September! Be sure to keep your eye out for us in the fall! Have a great rest of your summer from our team at EPIC Genesis.