Entrepreneur program to be offered this fall at Cape Central

It�s a program heading to Central High School this fall, and it aims to teach students the ins and outs of starting and running a business.

It�s called Youth Entrepreneurs, or YE, and, a school official said, it�s an exciting opportunity for students and for the business community of Cape Girardeau.

Tony Robinson, Cape Girardeau School District deputy superintendent of secondary education, said he learned of the program at a previous school district where he was an administrator, and liked what he saw.

�I thought it was a great opportunity for the students here at CHS because of the skills and experience they�ll learn,� Robinson said. �I also like the company�s vision and their support.�

Robinson said the company, YE, will provide a staff member to coordinate the program, and YE � a not-for-profit organization � pays for that staff member�s training, for resources and materials, then provides support.

�The business department saw this as a good opportunity to integrate the entrepreneur course [already in place],� Robinson said.

Students come up with an actual business idea they can play out in the school environment, Robinson said.

YE will then give students an opportunity to go up before a panel similar to the one seen on the television program �Shark Tank,� except instead of trying to tear the idea apart, the panel will talk the student through all aspects of his or her idea, Robinson said.

Then YE will provide a small loan to the student to actualize the idea, and any money the student earns above the loan repayment is pure profit, Robinson said.

Then there�s the alumni network, he said.

Students can reach out to any YE graduate across the country, he said, and gain valuable insight, advice or just the knowledge another person has been through the program and seen success.

�It�s truly an amazing program,� Robinson said, adding he wants the community to know about YE�s opportunities for finding financial partners.

The faculty member who will coordinate the YE chapter at Central is Pam Pensel, wrapping up her 10th year teaching at CHS this month.

While the program is brand-new to her and to the school, she sees how important it is.

�I think in today�s world, there is so much more of a chance to become an entrepreneur, because of technology,� Pensel said. �People are entrepreneurs now that 20 years ago never would have thought about having their own business.�

Pensel said she hopes students will be excited about it � and maybe even get set on a trajectory that would put them into entrepreneurship.

�I think people don�t realize what goes into a business � that�ll be eye opening for the students, everything that goes into it,� Pensel said. �Not only a passion for it but a business sense, and it�s not easy. You talk to any business owner, particularly small, and they�ll tell you, this is almost a 24-hour-a-day job.�

Priscilla McInnes, area director for Missouri with Youth Entrepreneurs, explained the course is a year-long elective offered at the high school level.

Students learn business fundamentals and entrepreneurship, she said, but the learning doesn�t have to end with the completion of the school year.

�We encourage our students to stay involved with YE post class for as long as they want,� McInnes said.

McInnes said there�s a great benefit to students regardless of their post-high school path.

�A lot of times, students live in a small bubble and don�t know what they don�t know,� she said. �We want to expose them to what they don�t know.�

Those opportunities could include matching with mentors or job-shadowing opportunities, depending on the students� needs and wants.

�We appreciate the opportunity to partner and launch with the district,� she said. �We strongly believe the knowledge and skills students learn will help to create long-term value in the community.�

Ryleigh Tucker, a student in Lebanon, Missouri, is in YE at her school, and said while she loved the overall experience, there were specific benefits she�s enjoyed.

�I really liked how positive and encouraging everybody was,� she said. �They�re so willing to do anything they can to help you get better, to better yourself. I really appreciated that.�

Tucker said as part of the curriculum, she had to create a business plan, and her idea incorporated two of her major interests: counseling and sloths.

Tucker�s idea is for a counseling center where children can meet with counselors � and sloths.

Most animal-therapy programs use dogs and, Tucker explained, some children are afraid of dogs, or are allergic.

That�s where the sloths come in.

�I�ve always wanted to be a counselor,� Tucker said, adding she has had foster siblings, and has firsthand knowledge about the effects of neglect and abuse, �and how animals can really help.�

Tucker said aside from teaching her how to hammer out practicalities, the program has also really helped her self confidence.

She�ll compete at a regional competition with YE this summer, she said, and can�t wait to see how far she can go.

As for the students at Cape Girardeau, they�ll have the support of a company investing in them, and faculty and administration encouragement.

�We�re really excited to see the kids� products,� Robinson said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630