Nurturing the Entrepreneur
Gallop recently released data that suggests student engagement wanes as young people progress from elementary to high school. Experiential and project-based learning is proposed as a method to reignite interest and motivation.
The Center for Talent Development (CTD) has developed a new set of courses designed to cultivate entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. “Partnership” courses for high school students will debut as part of the 2013 CTD Summer Program.
The three-week courses aim to provide real-world experience to students who have passion for the subject matter and connect them with industry professionals.
Courses are designed to help students develop leadership, dialog, listening, organization and follow-through skills in addition to knowledge and expertise. Students will collaborate in small teams and tackle existing challenges, enhancing their ability to think creatively and innovate solutions.
The Starter League is a Chicago-based company that trains aspiring programmers and web designers worldwide to build and launch new technology products. They are working with CTD to provide programming and web application development courses. Students will find themselves on a track to turn their online ideas into reality.
Two courses are the result of a joint venture with Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University. They are modeled on college level programs currently available to NU engineering students. The Design Entrepreneur course incorporates the principals of Design for America, which began at NU and is now expanding to other universities. High school students will get hands-on experience in collaborative design from ideation to production to presentation and nurture their ability to devise creative solutions to future challenges in their careers and personal lives.
Traditionally, education courses for academically gifted students provide accelerated study and the opportunity to delve deeply into subject matter. The new partnership model extends beyond the classroom and allows young people to apply their talent in ways that are more career oriented.
Entrepreneurism has led to breakthroughs throughout world history and may be more important now than ever. Let’s make sure our brightest young minds catch the spirit!
Check out the full roster of CTD summer partnership courses on our website.
Northwestern University is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs - read about it here.
Is the focus on entrepreneurism a good way to re-engage older students? What other methods work?
Cassie Sparkman coordinates CTD’s Equinox Summer Program for high school students. She has been working for several years to develop a partnership / apprentice program designed specifically for academically talented students.