The old definition of what it means to be an entrepreneur—an aggressive “start-up” mentality, taking on great personal and financial risk, and scaling only for profit—no longer applies. Today’s student entrepreneurs focus on creativity, collaboration, and passion, along with earning money, having the flexibility to be their own boss, and making an impact on the world. The truth is that entrepreneurs are just as diverse—in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and background—as the businesses they run. They might start a bakery, a martial arts studio, or a party planning business. They might invent and market shapewear (Sara Blakely), found a website that helps parents of special needs children connect with each other (Sehreen Noor Ali), or start a new fitness craze like Zumba (Alberto Perez). What all entrepreneurs have in common is a can-do attitude, a high tolerance for risk, the ability to multitask, and a laser-like focus on the customer and the product. They also know that success doesn’t happen overnight and is really the result of careful planning and masterful execution. We took this into account when designing the Entrepreneurship pathway. Our entrepreneurship classes are practical, hands-on, and require each student to develop a real business plan. We wrap this into a unique project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and teamwork.

The benefits of being an entrepreneur can be varied and extensive, including having a flexible schedule, building your personal brand, feeling that you’re making an impact, earning income in high school, gaining skills and experience, exploring careers, and being your own boss.

High school students are doing everything from side-jobs, where they use their current skills to help other businesses, to launching organizations and non-profits to help solve a problem. All these things translate into being an entrepreneur. It’s also about understanding how the skills students are learning are critical to their next step after graduation, whether they plan to explore careers, internships, or college. Today’s entrepreneurs can be classified into the following categories: Contractors—filling needs with local jobs and tasks to gain experience and income:  personal driver/taxi, tutoring, photography, dog-walker, babysitter, baker, lawncare, house-sitting pet-sitting, and more. Side-Hustle or Passion Project—using skills and interests to help another business or consumers:  coding, website or app development; social media Influencer, personal trainer; graphic designer; online sales, and more. The Start-Up that Solves a Problem or Pursues Innovation:  These start by identifying a problem and the new technology you can create or adapt that will solve it. Start-ups often require a business plan, marketing, branding, funding needs, mentoring, and more.

The first step in starting your own small business is to know what you are going to sell and to whom.

High school student entrepreneurs learn skills that employers value, including communication, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, organization, and a strong worth ethic—all demonstrated qualifications that help them stand out when applying for internships and jobs.

The Entrepreneurship Pathway is excellent preparation for a career as a small business owner or entrepreneur. Your student will take two full semesters of hands-on training in entrepreneurship, and our experienced teachers will guide them through developing their own business plans. We wrap this into a unique project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. Budding entrepreneurs can take classes in accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, computer literacy, and other business courses while still in high school. They can also join student clubs for aspiring business leaders, take on leadership positions in student clubs, spearhead new initiatives and fundraising campaigns, participate in business case competitions, shadow entrepreneurs, and offer to volunteer or work for an entrepreneur or local small business. There’s no substitute for getting an insider’s view into the world of entrepreneurship!