Entrepreneurship Education: Learning By Doing - Appalachian

52 Pages·2004·1.13 MB·English

Entrepreneurship Education:
Learning by Doing
“During the past two decades we’ve completely ‘re-invented’ the American economy. While this
dramatic change has allowed us to remain the world’s economic leader, young people are simply
not being prepared to participate in this rapidly changing economic landscape. Youth entrepreneur-
ship programs are an essential part of preparing boys and girls, young men and women, to take
charge of their own economic destiny.” – George Gendron
“While the key concepts of entrepreneurship can be taught at any time in a person’s life, the atti-
tudes and valuesassociated with becoming a successful entrepreneur are more likely to develop
if they are explored and nurtured at a young age. Teaching children about entrepreneurship offers
a career path, but more importantly, students learn of the economic and social benefits that entre-
preneurs provide to their families, to their communities and to their country.” – Rob Chernow
“The six programs highlighted in this publication provide great examples of what can happen when
young entrepreneurs learn the value of teamwork, vision and responsibility. Nurturing tomorrow’s
leaders is an essential tool to help grow good local jobs and diversify local economies, making
them more resilient in the face of change.” – Anne B. Pope
GEORGE GENDRON ROB CHERNOW ANNE B. POPE
Founder Senior Vice President Federal Co-Chair
Inc. Magazine of Entrepreneurship Appalachian Regional Commission
The Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation
Entrepreneurship Education:
Learning by Doing
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
I. Examples of Success
• Recognizing Opportunities: Randolph County Vocational-Technical Center, Elkins, West Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
• Creativity Rules: Walhalla High School, Walhalla, South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
• Parents as Partners: CEO Academy, Nashville, Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
• Know-How on Call: Excel Tech, Tupelo Middle School, Tupelo, Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
• A Ticket to Growth:Estill County High School, Irvine, Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
• Re-Inventing a School: School of Entrepreneurship, South Shore Community Academy High School, Chicago, Illinois . . . . . . . . . .34
II. Leading National Resources and Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
• EconomicsAmerica, National Council on Economic Education
• The Institute for Entrepreneurship
• Junior Achievement
• Making Cents
• National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
• REAL Enterprises, Inc.
• Youth Venture
III. Keys to Successful Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Dr. Cathy Ashmore,Executive Director, Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education
Published by the Appalachian Regional Commission with support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
| Introduction
Students say that building and running businesses is more interesting than most
of their other schoolwork. In a word, it is fun. Students like to learn by doing.
The comparison that comes to mind is athletics.Entrepreneurship The profiles that follow describe | 3
programs are among the few academic activities that engage students a West Virginia vocational programthat teaches students to recognize
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in teamwork and allow students to clearly understand that success opportunities around them,even in an economically distressed county;
requires a focus on outcomes,not on putting in class time.Time and a South Carolina high school program in which each new class begins
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again,teachers ofthese courses comment that all kinds ofstudents, with improvisations and ends with students keeping a share ofa food
chronic low achievers as well as strong students,excel in these programs. service’s profits;
The key seems to be peer pressure to meet or exceed what are seen as a faith-based effort in Nashville,Tennessee,where children as young
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realistic standards,just as with a football or basketball team. as second-graders cultivate character,initiative and social skills
Entrepreneurship education courses win praise from teachers (while also making impressive amounts ofmoney);
and school administrators for helping students excel at academic a high-tech service project in a northern Mississippi middle school
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subjects like English and mathematics.Studies have shown significant that stresses dependability and a strong customer orientation;
improvement on standardized tests among students involved in a Kentucky high school programin an economically distressed rural
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entrepreneurship programs. county that has grown by stimulating demand for its products across
We invite you to read about six successful youth entrepreneurship the community;and
programs and learn more about the national resources available a high school in a low-income area ofChicagothat is using entrepre-
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to help your community cultivate entrepreneurs. neurship across its curriculum as part ofa strategy to transform
urban education.
| Introduction
Entrepreneurship education courses win praise from teachers and school administrators
for helping students improve in academic subjects like English and mathematics.
4|
Your first impression ofthese six programs how they developed their skills. | 5
is likely to focus on their diversity.These The Appalachian Regional Commission
successful projects are in rural areas and and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
inner cities.They are based on many believe that education and experience play
different kinds ofbusiness activity and an important role in inspiring and nurturing
target young people at many educational future entrepreneurs.Children and young
levels—high school,middle school,and people see adults in many occupational
elementary school. and professional roles–salespeople and
Visit these projects and you’re also likely mechanics,doctors and nurses.But children
to see how much they have in common.All rarely get a glimpse ofthe creativity and hard
emphasize opportunity recognition,marshal- work that create entrepreneurial companies.
ing resources effectively,creativity and critical Entrepreneurship education within our
thinking.All teach the value ofhard work schools can help enlarge their vision and
and help students understand how businesses stimulate their imagination.
operate.They stress community and the Every year,hundreds ofthousands of
importance oftaking responsibility. new businesses are started in America.And
Americans live in a nation where entrepre- every year dozens offirms are added to the
neurs have created a high standard ofliving. “Fortune 500”list.Learn more about the
But while in some communities entrepreneur- successful programs that nurture entrepreneur-
ial ventures abound,other communities lack ship in our youth.Look into the resources.
the skills,vision and energy ofentrepreneurs. Make sure that new entrepreneurial businesses
Often we take entrepreneurs for granted, start in the classrooms,garages and basements
without understanding who they are and ofyour town.
| I. Examples of Success
1] WEST VIRGINIA 2] SOUTH CAROLINA 3] TENNESSEE 4] MISSISSIPPI 5] KENTUCKY 6] ILLINOIS
Recognizing Opportunities: Randolph County Vocational-Technical Center | 7
“I wish there were…”one student begins.“It would be better if…”another says.“This is what bugs me…”
someone else calls out. Despite how that may sound, Debra Conrad’s entrepreneurship class,“Owning Your
Own Business,”is no place for wishful thinking or complaining. Just the opposite.
These students at Randolph County Vocational- distressed county where opportunities for with 8,500 living in Elkins,the county seat.
Technical Center in Elkins,West Virginia,are homegrown profit are few and far between.For Timber is the main industry;Elkins likes to
learning how to recognize opportunities. example,a cluster ofone-shot,largely seasonal call itself“The Hardwood Capital ofthe East
They’re reviewing questions designed to tease projects netted a previous class several hundred Coast.”The largest private-sector employer
out ideas for products or services from potential dollars.A few years earlier,a project grossed is a branch ofArmstrong Wood Products that
customers.“The journey toward making a over $10,000,about halfofwhich was clear manufactures flooring and employs about 350
million dollars,”Conrad tells her students, profit.This class is hoping to capitalize on,and people.After that,even in the wood industry,
“begins with two steps:First,identify a need; with luck surpass,such previous successes. jobs are scarce.Most other jobs are in the
next,think ofa solution.” Finding a profitable product line in public sector:schools,a hospital,and
None ofher classes have made a million Randolph County isn’t easy.The county is Monongahela National Forest.
dollars yet,but they’ve done pretty well for high geographically the largest in West Virginia,but Brenda Pitt,executive director ofthe
school students who live in an economically its population is sparse—about 28,000 total, Elkins-Randolph Chamber ofCommerce,
| Examples of Success
“The journey toward making a million dollars,” Conrad tells her students,
“begins with two steps. First, identify a need; next, think of a solution.”
8| expresses the kind ofconcerns that can be prosperous days.They managed to run down
heard across much ofrural Appalachia. a number ofold recipes,including some from
“Young people are leaving,”Pitt says.“There the descendants ofthe caterer-entrepreneur.
are no jobs to keep them here.” They published the results as A Dish of
History.In the process they also learned about
Marketing Memories concepts like fixed costs and incremental costs
What is likely to sell best in Randolph (e.g.,why printing 500 books costs little more
County? One answer:memories and nostalgia. than printing 300) and practical skills like how
The class’s biggest winner to date was based to get bids before entering into a contract.
on that theme and came directly from asking In the end,they produced a local bestseller.
the “I wish…”question.A few years ago, A planned print run of500 books sold out
Conrad told her class about a family catering before two weeks and was hastily upped to 800.
business that flourished in Elkins long before Later they ordered 300 more.Orders came
they were born:a catering business,whose from as far away as England.
operator was exceptional both as a female A Dish ofHistory was completed in the old-fashioned home remedies for illness and
entrepreneur and as one ofthe few African- 1998-1999 school year.Another project built injury.It also has war stories from Randolph
Americans in Randolph County.Old-timers on its success.People were saying,“I wish I had County veterans and,yes,a section with the
in the area often remarked,“I wish I could a copy ofthat cookbook.”But Conrad doubted most popular recipes from that best-selling
have one ofthose recipes.”As a result,the there was enough demand to justify a re-issue. cookbook.The class’s theory:ifyou liked
students produced a cookbook containing Instead,a new book was produced,aimed at A Dish ofHistory,you’ll love the sequel.
old recipes and stories about their origins. both old-timers and a slowly growing tourism The book,called Pieces ofHistory,was
In developing the cookbook,students asked market.Organized by geographical sections in published in 2003.It began with another class
Randolph County senior citizens about their the county,it contains information on topics Conrad has taught,one on travel and tourism.
favorite eating places.They learned about that resonate with history and genealogy buffs: But her business and entrepreneurship class
how downtown Elkins looked in its more old graveyards,one-room schoolhouses and brought it to publication and marketed it.