Make learning relevant. That’s one of the battle cries of American education today. The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) makes education relevant by helping young people from low-income communities build skills and unlock their creativity while emphasizing individuality, initiative, and community. The organization partners with schools and community-based organizations to link the educational and business worlds in the classroom and beyond. NFTE currently has programs in 21 states and 12 countries.This is one of many avenues that has the potential to encourage and allow underprivileged students to demonstrate their otherwise undiscovered gifts.

 

NFTE was founded in 1987 by Steve Mariotti (a former business executive and entrepreneur) while he was a public high school teacher in New York City’s South Bronx. Mariotti discovered that when low-income youth are given the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship, their innate “street smarts” easily develop into “academic smarts” and “business smarts.” Through entrepreneurship, youth discover that what they are learning in the classroom is relevant to the real world.

 

NFTE’s programs teach entrepreneurship using a curriculum, which can be purchased. There are versions for both middle school and high school. The curriculum may be used in a semester- or year-long entrepreneurship course, integrated into an existing course, or used for an after-school program.

 

Students learn business concepts, practice skills such as negotiation and pricing, and work on plans for their own individual businesses. Business plan competitions are held at local, regional, and national levels. Winning students at the national level receive a trip to the annual awards dinner in New York City and a grant to apply toward their business or college expenses.

 

BizCamp is a 2-week, intensive entrepreneurship summer program for students, ages 13-18. The day camp includes field trips and guest speakers focused on providing students with a solid understanding of business. At the end of the camp, students compete for cash awards to fund their businesses.

 

At the NFTE website, you can find information about the organization’s locations and licensed partners. You also can find out how to become involved with the organization or how to start one in your area.