TVHS to Offer Students Young Entrepreneurs Academy
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
AKRON – Tippecanoe Valley High School is teaming up with the Warsaw/Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce to pilot the first Young Entrepreneurs Academy in the county. During the school board meeting Monday night, the board heard a presentation from Renea Salyer, chamber member relations, and teacher Jeff Shriver. The board also unanimously approved the program for the 2013-14 school year. Salyer said, “If you accept this program, it will raise the bar for Tippecanoe Valley. You are piloting the program for us.” The program requires the local chamber of commerce to buy into it. In Indiana, the program currently only exists in Elkhart County. Valley’s program would be the second in the state. At the end of the program, students get the opportunity to take their ideas to a trade show. Kids have some awesome ideas for businesses, she said. They can be any kind of business. Mentors and guest speakers help the students with their ideas. According to information provided by Salyer, “YEA! is a program geared for students in the ninth through 12th grade who have an interest in becoming an entrepreneur. The students will meet once or twice a week starting in September to work on their big idea, develop a business plan, take the plan to an investor panel, and end with a trade show. One business will receive a chance to win an entry to an even larger trade show in New York. Ultimately, the students end the program with a full-blown working business they can carry on. Their business will help them provide money for college or buy a car. The project based learning module Mr. Shriver is proposing in the classroom setting for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy is ingenious. Mixing in YEA with a government, economic and writing/English class is going to enhance the program and experience.” Shriver, who has partnered with teacher Melanie Mason on the combined class, said he found out about YEA at a workshop he took his American Studies class to last year. TVHS has paired up its economy, government and English classes, and YEA will be a part of that. The program is typically held in the afternoons after school, but Shriver’s vision was to do it during the school day. Students can earn college credit for YEA from Grace College. Grace College will offer a dual credit at the cost of $25 per credit hour for students who participate in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and want this option, according to information from Salyer. Salyer said the program encourages only 12 businesses, with 24 students in the class, so students will be paired up. “I can’t think of anything that would make economics more relevant,” Shriver said. “It’s a great opportunity. We don’t know how it will work out. We are trying it out.” Superintendent Brett Boggs said what better way was there to develop Valley’s best and brightest and get them to stay in the community. “We appreciate the chamber working with us on this. We appreciate Shriver’s vision. We are looking forward to it and seeing where it goes,” Boggs said.
