NEW SITE ESTABLISHED AT HEB ISD
BEDFORD, TX, APRIL 7, 2014 The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is an innovative program that transforms local junior high and high school students into real entrepreneurial successes. YEA! is excited to announce that its local program will be hosted at Gene A. Buinger Career & Technical Education Academy in the fall of 2014.
YEA! is a groundbreaking program that takes students between the ages of 12 and 18 through the process of starting and launching a real business or social movement over the course of an academic year. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried on after their graduation from the program. YEA! aims to teach students at an early age how to make a job, not just take a job. It is the ONLY pre-college program developed by an entrepreneur, at a university, with support from a major entrepreneurial foundation, the Kauffman Foundation, and the United States Chamber of Commerce.
“We are excited about this expansion and specifically chose HEB ISD’s Gene A. Buinger Career & Technical Education Academy because of its reputation for academic excellence and emphasis on community involvement,” said Gayle Jagel, the CEO and Founder of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Jagel developed the YEA! program in 2004, while serving as the Director of the Office of Special Programs at the University of Rochester. In 2008, YEA! ‘spun-off’ from the University to create its own not-for-profit corporation, YEA! Inc. The program is currently introducing sites in colleges, universities and high schools across the country.
“Hosting the YEA! program at our Gene A. Buinger Career & Technical Education Academy is a great way to combine business education with a professional environment in which the students can learn in.” said Lisa Karr, Director of Career & Technical Education at HEB ISD. “The students in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy will be successful as they are given the tools they need to succeed. We are excited to be one of those tools as they pave their road to success.”.
The YEA! program requires a nine-month commitment from its young entrepreneurs. In this time, students will brainstorm and form their enterprises, make pitches to real investors, obtain funding, register their companies with governmental agencies, and by the end, actually launch their own business or social movement! Business mentors and local entrepreneurs across a variety of industries will support the students throughout the program. All of the learning is real and experiential.
“There is something exciting about bringing people together who strive towards a common goal, and YEA! promises to be a catalyst for positive change in our community.” said Mary Frazior, President & CEO of the HEB Chamber of Commerce. “As an involved member in our business community, I can’t see a better way to instill the spirit of entrepreneurship in our young students. What a great opportunity for the HEB area.”
“The entire community is on board with HEB Chamber’s plans to pilot the program in the fall,” adds Jagel. “We encourage local business leaders to become involved with the program and to act as mentors to the budding entrepreneurs.” By partnering with YEA!, both large and small businesses can volunteer their time as business mentors, field trip hosts, guest lecturers, graphic designers, web developers, attorneys, etc. Community support strengthens the program, and the academy strengthens the community.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting year long class that transforms middle and high school students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors, and actually launch and run their own real, legal, fully formed companies and social movements. Founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy today serves thousands of students in communities across America. For more information about the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, please call 585.272.3535 or visit www.yeausa.org
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy, and the global business environment.
The U.S. Chamber Foundation and Campaign for Free Enterprise are national sponsors and partners of YEA!, helping to promote the spirit of enterprise among today’s youth and tomorrow’s future leaders.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Partnership
In 2011, the United States Chamber of Commerce and Campaign for Free Enterprise became a national sponsor and partner of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy to help promote the spirit of enterprise among today’s youth and tomorrow’s future leaders. Through coordination with its network of local chambers of commerce, the U.S. Chamber has helped communities across the country adopt the YEA! program. Together, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are celebrating the power and promise of young people in business and encouraging the next greatest generation to make a job, not just take a job.
Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District
The Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD has been named the #1 school district in Texas by Education Resource Group for the last six years using its “bang for the buck” formula of student performance and financial efficiency. Founded in 1958, HEB ISD’s rich history of excellence is demonstrated today through International Baccalaureate, Asian languages, Spanish Immersion, Core Knowledge Pre-K, and sister schools in China and India. These international programs provide HEB ISD students a world-class education that prepares them to compete in a global economy.
The District is recognized across the state and nationwide for its superior curriculum, low teacher-student ratios, and a singular focus on instructional spending. This fine-tuned combination consistently makes HEB ISD the district of choice for families who want their children to have an academic edge.
HEB Chamber of Commerce
The HEB Chamber is an association of businesses working together to improve the quality of life and economic climate in our area. With the assistance of members serving as board members, committee chairmen and volunteers, we carry out an aggressive business plan every year to ensure that our members have many opportunities to meet potential clients and customers as well as promote their business through personal contact and sponsorship promotions.
Start as a student and finish as a CEO!©
For More Information, Contact:
Craig Backus
817 283 1521 – office
817 600 5701- cell
Craig@heb.org
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