Are there entrepreneurs in your classroom?
NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation
Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education
FORUM
Norfolk, Virginia
November 6 – 10, 2009
Who is NFIB?
• The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the largest
small- and independent-business advocacy group in the country
• NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of it’s members to own,
operate and grow their businesses
• NFIB created the Young Entrepreneur Foundation to promote the
principals of small and independent business to America’s youth
What is YEF?
• 501(c)3 organization serving as the education arm of the
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
• Educating young people about the critical role of small business
and the American free-enterprise system
• Helping students interested in small business and
entrepreneurship further their education
• Promoting the lessons of free enterprise in the classroom through
a variety of programs
Young Entrepreneur Foundation Staff
Hank Kopcial – Executive Director
Julie Carney – Senior Program
Manager
Kate Vislay – Executive Assistant
Why is entrepreneurial education important?
•
Studies show that 6 out of 10 young Americans want to be in business for
themselves
•
VISA/NFIB survey of educators and guidance counselors found that the
entrepreneurial spirit is alive in students
• Most students don’t know where to go for advice on turning ideas
into reality
• 64% felt high schools should offer basic “how to” classes on starting
a business
•
Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership found that 85 percent of
students said they were taught little or nothing about how business works
Are there entrepreneurs
in your classroom?
What can you do to help bring out the entrepreneurial spirit
in your students?
YEF Programs
• NFIB YEF Educational Programs
• Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom Curriculum
• Johnny Money: The Online Game
• NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards (scholarships for high
school seniors)
Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC)
Curriculum
Three-module curriculum written by YEF & George Washington University for use in high school classrooms
•
Module One - Explores small business and its importance to the US economy
•
Module Two - Discusses the characteristics of an entrepreneur and how to turn an idea into a business
•
Module Three - Reviews the basics of how to start a business
Each module includes teacher notes, lesson plans, overheads, activities, and a quiz/answer key
•
Interested educators/teachers register for FREE with YEF in order to
download and use the curriculum
EITC is designed for any classroom and any teacher, regardless of discipline.
Visit us online at www.NFIB.org/eitc
YEF Programs (continued)
Johnny Money: The Online Game
•
Small-business simulation game allowing teens to explore the risks and rewards of business ownership
•
Designed to reinforce lessons learned from the Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum
•
Simulates running a small business where the student makes day-to-day decisions affecting the success of
their business
•
Currently there are over 3,800 high school teachers across the United States using the game
•
Over 124,000 virtual businesses have been created (as of October 28, 2009)
www.johnnymoney.com
Visit us online at www.NFIB.org/eitc
JMOG Leader Board
NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards
• NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards are merit-based, renewable and nonrenewable scholarships
• Applied to educational expenses at any accredited, nonprofit two- or fouryear college, university or vocational/technical school in the US
• Eligibility: high school seniors entering his/her freshman year
• Should have entrepreneurial spirit and initiative: starting a business,
participation in organizations such as DECA, Future Business Leaders
of America (FBLA), and Junior Achievement
• An established business is not required
NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards
• Apply online October 15, 2009 –December 15, 2009
• Visit www.NFIB.com/YEA to apply
• ACCESS KEY = NFIB
• By January 31, 2010, an impartial committee will choose a
group of semi-finalists
• Semi-finalists will be notified by email by the middle of
February, 2010
NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards
Semi-finalist applicants will be required to:
• Submit a typed 1,000 word essay
• High school transcripts
• NFIB member nomination
• Semi-finalist materials postmarked by March 16, 2010
Promote Entrepreneurship to the Next
Generation of Small-Business Owners
How can you help?
• Deliver application packets to your high schools
• Talk to your local school boards about entrepreneurial
education
• Utilize the FREE EITC curriculum and the Johnny
Money Online Game in your classroom
• Identify students eligible for an Award and encourage
them to apply
For more information regarding the
NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation:
Visit www.NFIB.com/yef
E-mail YEF at yef@NFIB.org
Call 1-800-552-6342