The Future of Education is Entrepreneurship

18 years ago, I took a position as a high school English teacher at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. 6 years into that role, I was asked to oversee a student-run rolling coffee cart venture as part of an idea to increase student engagement.

Fast forward to today and you’ll see a fully developed entrepreneurship program with 15 elective courses and over 5 on-campus businesses run by students. Come to graduation and you’ll see close to 30% of our graduating seniors have earned the certificate of entrepreneurship which reflects three to four years of courses, none of which are a graduation requirement. They choose these courses because they want these experiences.

And at the end of this school year, I’m stepping away from the school.

And while it may seem crazy to some that I’m leaving this remarkable program behind, the decision was made abundantly clear when you consider the calling.

Twelve years ago, we were ahead of the curve, anticipating the power of entrepreneurship education before entrepreneurship education in K-12 schools was even a thing. Now it is time to focus on the schools who want to fully engage their students, delight their parents, and catalyze their community. 

And that’s precisely what I’ve been called to do - help schools start meaningful programming around entrepreneurship education that is specifically designed to create pathways for students. As we consider the best ways to prepare our students for the uncertain future ahead, durable skills will become more and more important. 

Our students need to be able to problem solve and to do it proactively. They need to be able to effectively communicate and to do it in-person. They need to be able to truly collaborate and to move beyond mere cooperation. And all of these skills are wrapped up in meaningful entrepreneurship education.

And the time to act is now. Student choice is driving change through the entire educational experience, and schools that are proactively creating programming to truly engage students will find themselves flourishing in this burgeoning space.

Let me help - student engagement is and will continue to be the single most important factor for schools to flourish in this shifting educational landscape and we can start an entrepreneurship program at your school that will engage students and create lasting impact.

FOUR STEPS TO LAUNCHING AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM

1. Select the teacher - I have a tool to help with selection

2. Identify between eight and twelve students for the pilot class

3. Train and certify the teacher - I have a program for this with curriculum included

4. Start the year-long class - Follow the plan and an on-campus business will be launched mid-year

After the launch, student interest will drive the future growth of the program. For more on the process, visit our website at https://www.seedtreegroup.com/

The future of education is bright indeed!