Grade 11 and 12 IBT students learn the importance of networking

On March 26th, all grade 11 and 12 IBT students participated in a workshop about networking. The dance room was packed during all four periods of the day, where Nick Adam, from Beanstalk, led an interactive and musical lesson.

The workshop began with all the students seated, and then Nick introduced himself. At first, nobody really knew who he was, but then he mentioned that he used to be on Treehouse TV, a channel for kids that was very popular about a decade ago. Specifically, he mentioned being on the show "Splash and Boots," and there was a collective moment of realization from the audience.

“My parents used to get me DVDs of that show when I was a kid!” said Damanjot Teji, a grade 12 student who was overcome by nostalgia.

Throughout the workshop, he made students get up and interact with each other to do things like making a new handshake or demonstrating an Olympic sport. This was to make students more comfortable meeting people and working in groups. After this, he explained his journey when it came to networking. His idol was a rock star in the 90s, and Nick found out that his boss knew him. Because of this, he was able to meet him, record with him, and start working with him. This connection allowed him to become best friends with his childhood idol and then connect with other childhood icons like The Wiggles and Sesame Street.

After explaining his own experiences with how networking helped him, he told students that it was their turn. They were given the task of calling a person or place that students were interested in and wanted to learn more about. This could be a local celebrity, a possible workplace, or anything similar. One by one, students started to have conversations with complete strangers based on a script that was provided. This activity allowed everyone to have a chance to step out of their comfort zone and get firsthand experience to learn about the benefits of putting themselves out there and networking.