Montreal, May 3, 2001 - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal's Operation Back-to-School, which took place from March 26 to April 30, was a greated success. Businesseople visited over 369 students in 69 French and English Greater Montreal high schools to share their experiences and stimulate academic perseverance among secondary 3, 4 and 5 students.
Increasing in scope year after year, the Operation is sparking interest not only in the business community but also in Metropolitan Montreal schools. Indeed, 69 high schools in Greater Montreal participated this year, compared with 49 last year. Participation among businesspeople also increased, with over 500 men and women from the business community involved in the initiative this year.
The Operation had a very positive and encouraging impact on the students, as the following statement shows. "You have to find the path that will make you happy. A great big thanks to our terrific speaker. If more business people like you came to visit us more often, young people would be more motivated to stay in school," stated Richard Daniel, a secondary 4 student at École Jeanne-Mance, following the visit of Pierre Laferrière, chairman of the board of directors of the Board of Trade, who participated in Operation Back-to-School for the fifth consecutive year. | The Board of Trade will therefore repeat the Operation next year. "Sensitive to the success of our young people, the Board of Trade will continue to support any educational project. We would like to create a direct link between schools and the business world by stimulating students and showing them that there are jobs and careers out there for those who stay in school," explained Normand Legault, president of the Board of Trade.
The Board of Trade would like thank the ministère de l'Éducation and Metropolitan Montreal's English and French school boards for their support, as well as the Fonds Ville-Marie, Emploi Québec, Bos advertising agency, the Gazette and the host schools for their professional and financial involvement. The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has more than 7 000 members. Its mission is to be the leading group representing the interests of the Greater Montreal business community. The objectives are to maintain, at all times, relevance to its membership, credibility towards the media and influence towards government and decision-makers. |