Lesson in entrepreneurship

By Genelle Taylor
Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

A previously quiet gallery at the University Business Center was filled with the hustle and bustle of more than 100 high school students from around the Valley as the ninth annual Central Valley Entrepreneur Leadership Program kicked off its first of six workshops on Oct. 12.

The program, created by Dr. Timothy Stearns , is geared toward high school students from across the Valley who are motivated to innovate, create and launch a business.

The program's guest speaker for the day was John E. Hughes, the 2004 Entrepreneur in Residence, who spoke about his experiences as an entrepreneur and how his life relates to baseball. At the end of his presentation, Hughes pitched baseballs into the audience.

Throughout the two-semester program, student teams participate in six one-day seminars at the university that teach the fundamental strategies of entrepreneurship. University faculty and college students guide student teams through the process of writing a business plan by exploring such topics as the viability of a business idea, competitive analysis, market research, accounting, legal structures, management principles and presentation skills.

At the end of the program, students compete for scholarships totaling $4,000 (increased from $3,000 in prior years). Each student team presents its business plan to a panel of judges composed of business experts and successful entrepreneurs in the Valley.

The Central Valley Entrepreneurial Leadership Program encourages students to be creative, imaginative and entrepreneurial by giving them a learner's license: a permit that allows them the freedom to learn and to pursue their own ideas and take responsibility for their work. By employing a hands-on and "minds-on" teaching methodology, learning comes naturally because the students are self-motivated to discover and innovate.

For more information about the Central Valley Entrepreneur Leadership Program, contact the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at 294.2045 or visit the Website at www.lylescenter.com/cvelp.htm.