Youth Entrepreneurship-A Viable Alternative to Spark Innovation

Program Curriculum

 Speaker:
George Okantey
317-275-9263
okantey@purdue.edu
Purdue University
Entrepreneurship and innovation will continue to be the key economic drivers of the future and BizExtension, a youth development entrepreneurship education initiative is geared towards teaching youth to take responsibility for their lives and to think and act like entrepreneurs. BizExtension is geared towards high school students and the program covers basic, intermediate and advanced levels about how to start and operate a small business. Participants will learn how to effectively use the National Foundation for teaching Entrepreneurship instructor and student workbook. The workshop will also discuss creative ways to form partnerships with existing Extension clientele and other community partners. BizExtension introduces young adults to experiential activities that help them develop the attitudes and skills necessary to develop and market realistic and feasible business plans. We will share our logic model process and BizTech 2.0 web based assessment tools that records progressive challenges, mastery and application throughout the program. We will also discuss our partnership with Junior Achievement of central Indiana and the Indiana Small Business Administration and SCORE to provide technical assistance and educational resources for participants. Participants to this program have indicated higher self esteem due to the overall greater sense of control of their own lives because they gained competencies to stand and deliver their business plans to a panel of business leaders. This asset focused Extension community development initiative stimulates the creation of value and work that needs doing.

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For more information about the conference, contact the conference co-chairs: Cindy Bigger, cbigger@umn.edu, (888) 241-0843, or Rick Maurer, richard.maurer@uky.edu, (859) 257-7582.

For questions, comments or concerns about the 2006 NACDEP Conference website, contact emilye@srdc.msstate.edu.