ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM
Visualizing Your Dreams--Youth Empowerment through Business
Exploring one’s character through the study of entrepreneurship
Visualizing Your Dreams-Youth Empowerment through Business
Visualizing Your Dreams-Youth Empowerment through Business is a unique entrepreneurship and character development program that integrates business education with personal growth. Designed for middle school and high school students, this innovative approach transforms the classroom into a real-world business environment where students not only gain entrepreneurial skills but also develop the mindset and character necessary for long-term success in life, academics and career goals.
By drawing a clear and relatable connection between business ownership and personal ownership, the program encourages students to see themselves as the most important venture they will ever develop. As they learn to build businesses, they are also building self-reliance, confidence, and leadership
Program Goals and Outcomes
The primary goal of Visualizing Your Dreams-Youth Empowerment through Business -- is to empower students to take ownership of their futures by applying entrepreneurial thinking to both business ventures and personal growth. Specific objectives include:
Develop students' understanding of entrepreneurship, including business planning, marketing, financial literacy, and branding
Foster character development through goal setting, self-knowledge, accountability, and action planning
Students will learn how their personal interests and skills can be turned into real business opportunities
Boost students’ career readiness by strengthening their communication, leadership, and workplace skills.
Program Structure
Entrepreneurial Skill Building: Students learn key business concepts such as customer discovery, startup costs, and profit models.
Character Development Application: Students reflect on how the same concepts apply to their personal development (e.g., marketing yourself = résumé writing; startup costs = academic effort vs. long-term gain).
Interactive Activities: Hands-on, collaborative tasks that simulate real-world business scenarios while promoting teamwork and self-discovery.
Mentorship & Guest Speakers: Local entrepreneurs and professionals provide real-world insights and guidance.
Capstone Project: Each student develops and presents a personal business plan, applying both business and personal development principles.
The Methodology
Students are more likely to buy into the idea of creating ownership for themselves, but lack the vision to see the connection of ownership over their own development. The same principles used to create an entrepreneurial venture are the same principles students will use to develop their individual selves. In business, you are responsible for developing and marketing your product while examining the start-up costs. Students will also look at their individual selves and apply, re-define and discover their characteristics and talents. They will also learn to market themselves when applying for college and a job. As costs are related in starting a business—these are the same cost/principles associated to doing well in school vs. not doing well. Developing one’s self and economic self-sufficiency is the key to success, as students translate entrepreneurial applications to enhance their understanding and re-connection of the concept: “what you learn in the classroom applies to the real world”.
Why Entrepreneurial Education Matters
Entrepreneurial education is more than teaching students how to start a business—it empowers young people to think creatively, take initiative, and adapt to an ever-changing world. In today’s innovation-driven economy, these skills are essential for both personal and professional success.
By exposing students to entrepreneurship early, they will:
Recognize opportunities and take initiative
Develop resilience, financial literacy, and strategic thinking
Become self-reliant and goal-oriented
Empower students to support and strengthen their communities through entrepreneurship