Applications are being accepted through Monday, Oct. 3, for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) at MVCC, which is embarking on its 11th year of transforming middle and high school students into real entrepreneurs. Since the program’s inception, just over 130 students have taken the class and gained exceptional experience in starting their own business, some of which are still running or have evolved. Applications are available online at mvcc.edu/yea.
Classes will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evenings Oct. 12, 2022, through May 3, 2023, and will be held mostly in person throughout the year at ICAN’s new Family Resource Center at 106 Memorial Parkway in Utica. Classes will not be held during school breaks.
The class is open to students in grades 6-12 and class size is limited. Students from all local school districts are encouraged to apply, and educators are invited to nominate students they believe will excel in the program. Full and partial scholarships are available to qualifying students. Students do not need to have a business idea coming into the class.
“The MVCC Foundation is pleased and proud to continue supporting this amazing opportunity for students to become real-life entrepreneurs. Exposing middle and high school students to the day-to-day trials and triumphs of running their own businesses is a valuable and rewarding experience,” said Deanna Ferro-Aurience, executive director of Institutional Advancement and the MVCC Foundation.
During the class, students:
- Learn how to create a business they are passionate about
- Complete market research and develop a business plan
- Work one-on-one with business mentors and graphic designers
- Attend field trips to learn from local entrepreneurs
- Pitch their ideas at a “Shark Tank”-style investor panel presentation to win real start-up funds
- Take part in a trade show
- Graduate from the program with lifelong leadership and business skills
Program Manager Michelle Truett said, “This is the class all business owners wish they had the opportunity to take when they were younger! It motivates, inspires, provides great connection with like-minded peers, teaches perseverance, fosters creativity, and so much more. Young students can forever say that they started a business when they were in middle or high school!”
Each year, one student from the program is chosen to represent the MVCC YEA! class at the Saunders Scholars national competition at RIT and will compete against students from all over the country, and others are awarded prizes ranging from newspaper articles, a one-year membership to the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, and an appearance on the Chamber’s podcast.
Program sponsors include M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund and Berkshire Bank. Partners include WUTR Eyewitness News and the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce.
Parents and educators can contact Program Manager Michelle Truett at 315-534-0067 or michelle@484design.com, or visit mvcc.edu/yea for more information.
About YEA!
Started at the University of Rochester in 2004 with support from the Kauffman Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is now in 168 communities across America with classes also in Shanghai and India. More than 4,000 students nationwide have launched over 3,000 businesses and social movements. This will be the 11th year that Mohawk Valley Community College has hosted it in the greater Utica area, and applications are now open for the upcoming class.
About Mohawk Valley Community College
Mohawk Valley Community College, established in 1946, is New York State’s first community college with a mission to provide accessible, high-quality educational opportunities for everyone. As the community’s college, MVCC is committed to student success through partnerships, transfer and career pathways, and personal enrichment. With campuses in Utica and Rome, MVCC is the region’s primary provider of college education, offering 90 degree and certificate options for its enrollment of 6,000 full- and part-time students. MVCC also serves an additional 6,000 people through its corporate and community education programs, and its campuses welcome more than 50,000 people annually for community events. To learn more about MVCC and its programs, visit www.mvcc.edu.