Focused on commerce: armed with an MBA, Monica Kreuger has taught entrepreneurship to fourth year commerce students for the past 10 years. Her husband, Brent, studied photography at Ryerson Polytechnic University and has a degree in education. Together, they run Global Infobrokers Inc. and have a creative focus on commerce.

For 15 years, Saskatoon-based Global Infobrokers, has offered entrepreneurship training and coaching to 600 Canadian companies. Monica's entrepreneurial spirit thrives on new ideas. In 2004, she led Venture Forward, a $64,000 business plan competition modelled after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's competition. Venture Forward challenges Canadian post-secondary students to develop strategies for launching a new business in Saskatchewan.

Now, as Brent works on completing his Masters in Distance Education from Athabasca University, they are preparing to launch a new high school. It should come as no surprise that the focus is on business and international skills training.

The 60,000-square-foot school, named Praxis International Institute, shares space with the Prairie Ursuline Centre in Bruno, one hour east of Saskatoon. It is a well known and widely used conference centre located at the end of Bruno's main street and surrounded by 65 acres of pristine rural landscape.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The uniquely Canadian landscape and learning experience will appeal to the global audience the school's website caters to. An international marketer is currently overseas promoting the school to Asian and German students. With tuition set at almost $19,000 for the first year (a moderate sum in comparison to the range of international tuitions charged), the Kreugers plan to start enrolling high school students for the 2006 school year.

Monica describes the school as a gateway for foreign students wanting to pursue post secondary education in Canada. Foreign students represent about one-fourth of all temporary residents in Canada. This percentage will increase as more universities emphasize an international dimension in their mission statements.

"We established this school because of our desire to create an environment that challenge the student to ask questions, find solutions and implement their ideas--an environment where creativity, 'thinking outside the box' and learning diversity are the norm," says Brent, president of Praxis International Institute.

"We believe that each student has the capacity to excel in the right environment. Entrepreneurship, technology and international skill development are critical areas of education for us, and we intend to be the place where skilled problem solvers, innovators, and future leaders have a chance to flourish."