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By Gillian Beckett
Staff Reporter
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 Local junior high school students recently had
the opportunity to experience life in the real world from beyond the classroom walls.
Grade 8 students at Okotoks Junior High School participated in a provincial pilot
project which revolved around the area of logistics.
According to teacher Kevin Knibbs, Okotoks Junior High School is the only school
in the province that participated in the logistics project.
The project, which started in September, showed students how logistics work in the
business world, explained Knibbs.
'The kids first looked at the logistics of how they got to school in the morning,
then they researched how the (Calgary) zoo gets an animal from the jungle to the
zoo,' said Knibbs. 'It was a neat experience for the kids.'
As the year progressed, the students learned about five subsectors of logistics:
customer service, order processing, inventory, warehouse/ distribution and transportation/traffic.
Each of the 20 students then applied their knowledge to the real working world.
'Once a week, the kids took part in a work study (with local businesses),' said Knibbs.
'They spent a couple of hours with the employer to find the logistics with their
business.'
At the end of the logistics course, the students put together a Power Point presentation
on the logistics of the business with which they were involved.
Knibbs explained that various local businesses within Okotoks were essential for
the students to fully understand the principles of logistics.
'We were told that (the logistics pilot) wouldn't work in a small community,' said
Knibbs, 'but we had a lot of support (from the local businesses). We want to thank
them for taking a risk and helping us out.'
Knibbs added that the work experience element of the logistics course sparked a real
interest with the students, especially if it meant getting a job in the near future.
'When this program first started, we had about 125 applications for 20 positions
offered this year,' said Knibbs. 'The kids are really keen about it . . . it gives
some of them their first opportunity to work and it gives them references for the
future.'
The logistics program will be offered again to students next year and Knibbs hopes
to see the beneficial program expand to other schools in Okotoks and the province.
'We're going to add places for 30 more students in the logistics program (at OJHS),'
said Knibbs. 'This is a great program for students to participate in. There's a need
for jobs in logistics . . . these students can take what they know to places like
SAIT or DeVry and have a one-up on understanding how business works -- that's the
key thing.'
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