(Frisco) July 31, 2012 – The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) will host an information night for interested parents and students of the Frisco Independent School District, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 15 at the Career and Technical Education Center, located at 9889 Wade Boulevard in Frisco.
The presentation will include information about the program and its application process. Past students and mentors will share their experiences and will be available to answer questions.
YEA! is a Frisco ISD, Frisco Chamber of Commerce, and Frisco Economic Development Corporation joint venture that provides entrepreneurial opportunities for students in grades 6-12.
Twenty-four FISD Students were accepted during YEA’s inaugural 2011-12 school year and were selected through an application process which includes an essay, short answer questions, transcript submissions, letter of recommendation and an interview.
Over the course of the program, students:
- Brainstorm business ideas
- Write a business plan
- Interact with business professionals
- Pitch their business plan to potential investors
- Obtain funding
- Legally register their businesses
- Participate in a Trade Show
Frisco was the first Texas city to operate the program, paving the way for other communities, such as Southlake and Argyle which are implementing YEA! this year, with Frisco as its mentor city. The communities observed last year’s class, which generated fourteen businesses, present their plans to an Investor Panel, resembling a younger version of the Shark Tank reality TV show.
Jim Gandy, President of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation said, “The EDC is proud to be a community partner in bringing the Young Entrepreneurs Academy to Frisco. Our business community is very supportive and encourages entrepreneurship ventures such as The North Texas Enterprise Center, an incubator/accelerator program that assists med-tech and technology start-ups, located right here in Frisco.”
“We look forward to another year of working with our young entrepreneurs through the Frisco Chamber of Commerce and Frisco Independent School District,” said Gandy. “We are all planting the seeds of entrepreneurship with the budding minds of students as they learn the tools necessary for launching a business of their own.”
ABOUT FRISCO YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ACADEMY
The Frisco Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a year-long program that teaches middle and high school students how to start and run their own, real businesses. YEA! was developed at the University of Rochester in 2004 with the support of a grant from the Kauffman Foundation. The Frisco Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a joint venture between the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, Frisco Economic and Development Corporation and the FISD was the first Texas school district to implement this program.
Business leaders interested in becoming sponsors or mentors should contact Sheacy Thompson, Participant Recruitment Committee Chair, at (972)562-4543 or Sheacy@sbcglobal.net.
By Lynn Bergman, Frisco PR Girl.
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