By BRUCE FREEMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Ask the Small Business Professor
Dear Professor Bruce: My daughter's friend is in a high school a few towns away. She has been taking some business courses as part of her academic program. Of particular interest to me is that she is taking a course in entrepreneurship. Is this unique? Is it a trend? Why would it be taught this early when students, especially those going on to college, have several years before they enter the working world?
Answer:
Introducing students to concepts of entrepreneurship does more than just provide them with additional knowledge. The earlier we can introduce them to alternative learning patterns, the easier it is for them to believe that they can create their own life opportunities.
In addition, the work world has changed. The era of the "gold watch" is long gone.
Large corporations are laying off skilled workers by the thousands due to downsizing, mergers, acquisitions and outsourcing jobs overseas. The question is, where are all these workers going?
According to Anthony Warren, director of the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Pennsylvania State University, "teaching entrepreneurship is not a luxury in today's world but a necessity. Entrepreneurship is about optimism and knowing that you can reach your personal targets, attributes that all students should acquire at an earlier a stage as possible." Fortunately, there is an upward trend in offering entrepreneurial experiences usually championed by school officials that see the bigger picture.
How early? While colleges and universities entrepreneurship programs have grown significantly over the past few years, such courses at the high school level are still rather rare. This is due more to the shortage of teachers with the training and skills to teach such courses, rather than the enthusiasm students show for such courses.
Livingston High School in New Jersey is one of only a few high schools that have introduced entrepreneurship into a business education curriculum. According to Livingston High School Business Department Supervisor Robert Keenan, "This year (2006/2007) is the first time we offered this full year course and we already have three classes. The students are very excited about entrepreneurship and enjoy the activities that allow them to participate in various problem solving activities. Students are currently developing business plans based on research and other collaborative resources."
Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, experimented with a student-run venture capital competition this year as part of its business education program. The five winners were all awarded seed money to start their own businesses. According to Michael Temple, successful entrepreneur and executive director of the Sylvania Entrepreneur Venture Program, "the goal was to emphasize the entrepreneurial spirit and provide students the opportunity to run their own businesses."
Although school districts are under pressure to raise test scores in reading, writing and math, teaching business skills in a changing economic environment can have long term benefits for students.
(Bruce Freeman, owner of a small business and an adjunct business professor at Kean University, is always looking for interesting success stories and lessons learned. Entrepreneurs can e-mail their ideas to bruce(at)SmallBusinessProf.com)
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