Model and Strategy
The project focuses on addressing the opportunity gap for under-resourced youth by expanding the funnel of high school students whose future job prospects benefit from development of an entrepreneurial mindset, impactful exposure to the workforce, and relationships with industry mentors.
Student success along NFTE’s Entrepreneurship Pathway hinges on cultivating and establishing industry partnerships that provide consistent, professional mentoring over the course of the academic year. For 2017-18, NFTE seeks to pilot its E2 (Entrepreneurship II) course at seven Bay Area high schools, and recruit companies, such as current partner PayPal, to commit to mentor and support each classroom. Through a mix of in-school, corporate campus, off-site workshop, and virtual mentoring sessions, industry mentors will help NFTE students validate and soft launch an original business plan, and prepare them to earn an industry-recognized Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (ESB) credential.
Impact
By teaching the entrepreneurial mindset, NFTE provides young people with tools and attitudes to overcome adversity and address future personal, economic, community and global challenges. The confidence, poise, and creative problem-solving abilities enable NFTE students to chart a new trajectory for their life. This mindset, combined with the teaching of academic competencies (math, writing, reading comprehension) and technical expertise (business financials, basics of marketing, etc.), activates learning among NFTE students to prepare them for college and/or career.
In completing the E2 course (including participating in the competition series) and earning their ESB credential, students will be able to demonstrate workforce readiness in a manner that will help them earn college credit, gain an advantage in securing internships, and launch their own businesses.
According to our 2016 Alumni Study conducted by WestEd: • 58% of our alumni are attending college and 21% have graduated compared to 52% of low-income students enrolled in college and only 9% of low-income students obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree by the age of 24 •Of the 58% of alumni currently in college, 36% plan to start a business after they graduate •16% of NFTE Alumni were self-employed or had a started a business in the past year and 25% of NFTE Alumni reported they had started at least one business versus 2% of youth ages 16-25 were self-employed in 2015
Whether they pursue college, career, or business start-up, NFTE students will have the edge.
Leadership
-
Alfredo Mathew
Director