In 2006, EntreEd and the Kauffman Foundation worked with the 109th Congress to designate the third week of February each year as National Entrepreneurship Week. BILLS-109hres699eh
National Entrepreneurship Week 2020 took place February 15-22. EntreEd was a lead partner for entrepreneurship education day and joined the celebration along with entrepreneurial educators, libraries, incubators, non-profits, small businesses, government agencies, and more supporters from across the United States.
On February 17th, EntreEd co-hosted Monday’s entrepreneurship education webinar alongside the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE). EntreEd Executive Director, Gene Coulson, informed viewers about EntreEd’s mission and vision. EntreEd Regional Coordinator, Toi Hershman, presented the fundamentals and impact of the America’s Entrepreneurial Schools Program. Three New Jersey entrepreneurial educators, Melissa Eckstein, Carol O’Connell, and Amy Mount, shared their entrepreneurship education journeys and how they teach students to launch from failure. Speakers from NACCE and North Idaho College followed. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording.
Registration for the 2020 EntreEd Forum also went live on entrepreneurship education day. The conference will take place November 18-19 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This year’s EntreEd Forum’s theme is Full ESTEAM Ahead and will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to explore the synergies between Entrepreneurship (E) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & mathematics) education via hands-on workshops, engaging activities, and an interactive agenda. Register and learn more.
Pictured from left to right: Horace Robertson, EntreEd board member, Rebecca Corbin, NACCE President and CEO, Gene Coulson, EntreEd Executive Director, McDougal, EntreEd Board Member, & Scott Ralls, Wake Technical Community College President
Pictured from left to right: Horace Robertson, EntreEd board member, Dr. Rebecca Corbin, NACCE President and CEO, Dr. Gene Coulson, EntreEd Executive Director, Gail McDougal, EntreEd Board Member, & Scott Ralls, Wake Technical Community College President
On February 19th, a special National Entrepreneurship Week episode of the EntreEd Talk podcast premiered for entrepreneurship for all day. Hosts Toi Hershman and Amber Ravenscroft interviewed Brian Hamilton. Hamilton is the Founder of the Brian Hamilton Foundation and the Inmates to Entrepreneurs Program, both of which are dedicated to providing entrepreneurship for all. Listen to the episode.
Our partner, NACCE celebrated the opening of their new headquarters in Cary, NC on entrepreneurship for all day. Executive Director, Gene Coulson, as well as EntreEd board members Gail McDougal, and Horace Robertson attended the celebratory ribbon cutting event. EntreEd congratulates NACCE for this accomplishment and wishes them the best in their future endeavors at their new headquarters.
Throughout National Entrepreneurship Week, America’s Entrepreneurial Schools celebrated by engaging students with entrepreneurial activities. The AES Program is partially funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The program is dedicated to integrating entrepreneurship and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) programming to prepare Appalachia’s future workforce and create a culture of innovation.
At Jackson City School in Jackson, Kentucky, 5th graders engaged in hands on learning by designing and prototyping their own products in Sarah Trent and Tori Howard’s classes. Students then learned and applied knowledge about opportunity cost, supply and demand, market research, created pop-up shops, and much more during the project.
At Mary B. Austin Elementary in Moblie, Alabama, kindergarten through fifth grade students were exposed to entrepreneurial thinking and participated in activities that tied in with classroom Project Based Learning (PBL) topics. Students produced commercials to advertise their upcoming businesses, created entrepreneurial themed PowerPoint presentations, designed entrepreneurial themed digital comics, and generated entrepreneurial themed digital art with looping animation; all in the Mary B. Austin Communication Lab led by Mary Alice Pouliot.
“At each grade level, our students are exposed to entrepreneurship and practice thinking creatively, working collaboratively, trouble shooting, designing products, marketing their businesses, and more, in age appropriate ways that tie in with the different grade level standards. We invite local entrepreneurs in to speak to each grade level, sharing their passions and paths to success. One 4th grade student said that National Entrepreneurship Week is his favorite week of the year! We’ve done this for 5 years now, and you can see the growth, understanding, appreciation, and maturity of design and thought in our students’ work. The lessons and experiences build upon each other from year to year, allowing for more complex PBL activities and more impressive student owned projects as they age. Our students are eager to make their mark and to do so in a way that makes our world a better place. We love embracing entrepreneurial thinking and skills at Mary B. Austin!” – Mary Alice Pouliot, Communication Lab Specialist at Mary B. Austin
Save the date for National Entrepreneurship Week 2021! It will take place February 13-20, 2021. To learn more, visit www.NatlEshipWeek.org, and follow @NatlEshipWeek on Twitter for updates.
If you would like to share any entrepreneurial projects that your students are working on for a chance to be featured on EntreEd’s social media or in an upcoming blog post, please email our Communications Manager, Megan Westbrook (megan@entre-ed.com) or tag and message @entretalk on Twitter.
