ACEM: Pick Your Path to Greatness
Event is FULL - Currently not accepting registrations
ACEM - Applied Commerce Educators of Manitoba
Conference Title: Pick Your Path to Greatness
Location: Virtual via Google Meets
Time: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Registration Deadline: October 23, 2025 at 6:00 pm
- Conference and Membership Fees -
ACEM Conference Fee ............................................... $50
ACEM Conference & Membership Fee .................... $40
ACEM Student Conference & Membership Fee ..... $20
ACEM Membership Fee ............................................. $20
ACEM Student Membership Fee .............................. $10
Cancellation Policy: No cancellations or refunds.
If you require any additional information about this conference, please contact Raven Zacharias at raven@zachnet.ca. For questions about registration, please contact Dave Reece at dreece@wsd1.org.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sessions - 9:00 AM-3:30 PM
FULL - Option 1: Dream It, Do It: Careers, Creativity, and Connections
09:00 am - 10:00 am - Career Connections: Exploring Your Future: Alex Klassen, Employment Facilitator, Youth Employment Services
Presented by Alex Klassen from Youth Employment Services (YES), this interactive workshop will introduce participants to career exploration tools, resources, and hands-on activities designed to help youth discover pathways aligned with their interests and strengths. Learn about YES programs, outreach services, and take part in a mini "Job Party" activity to spark conversation around future careers and opportunities. Not teaching a Careers course? No problem! Learn how they connect to the main pillars of literacy, numeracy, and real-world applications.
__
10:30 am - 11:30 am - Creative Careers in Action : Kara Joseph, Training Programs Manager, Creative Manitoba
Presented by Kara Joseph from Creative Manitoba, this interactive workshop introduces participants to key business skills for building a career in the creative industries. Through practical tools, resources, and hands-on activities, attendees will explore how to turn creative work into viable professional opportunities. Learn about programs, mentorship, and services offered by Creative Manitoba to support artistic entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey.
__
11:45 am - 12:15 pm - Pitch a la Mode: Learn the Recipe to Cook up a Winning Elevator Pitch: Scott MacAuley, RRCP Business Admin Program / Applied Commerce & Managment Education
In this session, participants will learn the “ingredients” required to craft the perfect elevator pitch, or personal sales pitch. Participants will create, evaluate, and refine their recipe. Learning these tools will help teachers (and their students!) develop professional networking skills by giving them tools to articulate who they are, the value they add,and to communicate an “ask”. Participants will learn to use Padlet for collaboration.
__
01:15 pm - 02:15 pm - Social Media and Online Engagement: Using Marketing Tools in the Classroom:Travel Manitoba
This workshop explores how social media can be used to promote tourism, culture, and community pride—while also providing practical tools for classroom learning. Educators will discover how Travel Manitoba engages audiences through storytelling, visuals, and targeted campaigns, and how these same strategies can be adapted into student projects. From designing tourism-style promotions for local communities to analyzing real campaigns, participants will learn how to integrate digital marketing, branding, and audience engagement into their teaching. The session also covers best practices for responsible online communication and highlights the powerful role of social media in shaping how people experience and share travel.
__
02:30 pm - 03:30 pm - The Art of the Side Gig: Creating and Managing Little Entrepreneurship Ventures as Busy People: Marissa Naylor, Marketing Coordinator, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
Based off the How to Start a Side Hustle course, this workshop is designed to explore entrepreneurship without giving up their day-to-day responsibilities. Learn how to identify small-scale business opportunities, turn personal skills or passions into income-generating ventures, and manage time effectively as busy students or professionals. The session will cover a sampling of practical strategies for planning, branding, and promoting side gigs, along with tips for balancing workload, finances, and personal well-being. Whether it’s freelancing, online selling, or service-based projects, participants will leave with tools and inspiration to confidently start and sustain their own side ventures.
FULL - Option 2: Commerce With Care: Building Inclusive Spaces for Success
09:00 am - 10:00 am - Info for Creating Healthier Spaces: Healthy Relationships, Diversity, and Anti-Oppression: Chris Romaniuk, Health Facilitator, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
Presented by Chris Romaniuk from the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC – Brandon Office), this workshop explores how to build respectful, inclusive, and supportive environments through gaining knowledge and understanding of diverse topics. It covers key aspects of healthy relationships, embracing diversity, and introduces anti-oppression strategies to promote equity and well-being in personal and community spaces.
__
10:30 am - 11:30 am - Community & Care: Addressing "Hard Topics" in the Classroom : Chris Romaniuk, Health Facilitator, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
Presented by Chris Romaniuk from the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC – Brandon Office), this workshop builds upon “Info for Creating Healthier Spaces” and offers educators tools and strategies for navigating sensitive or challenging conversations in the classroom. Participants will explore how to create inclusive, respectful, and trauma-informed spaces that support student well-being. Topics include healthy communication, equity, and anti-oppression practices to foster a classroom culture rooted in care, understanding, and community.
__
11:45 am - 12:15 pm - Q & A with SERC: Cross-Curricular Connections: Chris Romaniuk, Health Facilitator, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
Presented by Chris Romaniuk from the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC – Brandon Office), this short session allows attendees to ask questions regarding their offered workshops and cross-curricular connections. Use this space to listen, learn, and engage with the topics shared above in a more responsive manner.
__
01:15 pm - 02:15 pm - Let's Make a Deal: Master the Art of Negotiation:RRCP Business Admin Program / Applied Commerce & Management Education
In this session, participants will learn the art of negotiation, seeking a win-win outcome, and strengthening relationships through the process. Participants will explore principles of effective negotiation, learning how to turn "NOs" into "YESes’". Participants will gain the tools to confidently navigate discussions, handle objections, and reach mutually beneficial outcomes. They will develop the skills required in sales, job interviews, and beyond. This session will include learning to play the 'Bluff' game.
__
02:30 pm - 03:30 pm - Digital and Social Media Marketing: Engaging Photos with your Phone: Taras Wasyliw
FULL - Option 3: Pitch & Play: Creative Commerce Activities for the Classroom
09:00 am - 10:00 am -
Shelby Sharpe, Coordinator of Education Programs, Fraser Institute
If Spider-Man is so smart, why isn’t he rich? What are the economic implications of a tech entrepreneur like Tony Stark actually inventing Iron Man armor? What does the 80-year career of Wonder Woman tell us about the evolving role of women in the workplace? This 1-hour session, presented by Dr. Brian O’Roark in partnership with Shelby Sharpe, will showcase the power of using the pop culture phenomenon of superheroes to teach concepts of economics!
__
10:30 am - 11:30 am - Personal Finance 101: An Introduction for Teachers and Activities for the Classroom: Lorraine Presonka, RRCP Business Admin Program / Applied Commerce & Management Education
__
11:45 am - 12:15 pm - Ethics, AI, and Financial Statements - Oh My!: Dennis Bishop, RRCP Business Admin Program / Applied Commerce & Management Education
__
01:15 pm - 02:15 pm - Learning to Use Google Notebook LM and Create Your Own Podcast: RRCP Business Admin Program / Applied Commerce & Management Education
This workshop explores how social media can be used to promote tourism, culture, and community pride—while also providing practical tools for classroom learning. Educators will discover how Travel Manitoba engages audiences through storytelling, visuals, and targeted campaigns, and how these same strategies can be adapted into student projects. From designing tourism-style promotions for local communities to analyzing real campaigns, participants will learn how to integrate digital marketing, branding, and audience engagement into their teaching. The session also covers best practices for responsible online communication and highlights the powerful role of social media in shaping how people experience and share travel.
__
02:30 pm - 03:30 pm - Managing an Event Escape Room : RRCP Business Admin Program / Applied Commerce & Management Education
You enter a venue to finalize plans for your event, but what you don't know is that you have entered a Management Escape Room. You must solve clues related to human resources, sourcing materials for the event, and managing your team within the room. This room is an engaging experience to demonstrate teamwork while solving management challenges.