SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - To encourage middle and high school students to become entrepreneurs, the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Penn State Schuylkill are bringing a new program to the county.
"It's called the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, and is also known as YEA!" Carol Boyer, the chamber's YEA! Program Manager said Tuesday afternoon at a special event to promote the program, which was held at the branch campus and attended by more than 50 people.
"In order for our community and our country to prosper, our Chamber of Commerce firmly believes that developing the entrepreneurial spirit in our local young people is critical," Monica M. Walborn, events planning and coordination director for the chamber, said Tuesday.
It's a 30-week program for students in grades sixth through 12th, which will begin in October 2014 and end in April 2015. Three-hour sessions to be held once a week at Penn State Schuylkill will transform students into "confident entrepreneurs," Boyer said.
Students interested in the program must fill out applications available at the chamber's office in Pottsville and go through an evaluation process. Tuition is $495 per student. The goal is to have between 15 and 24 students, according to Robert S. Carl Jr., chamber executive director.
"There really will be screening of applicants. The students have to have certain characteristics in order to be successful within the program and that is part of the purpose of the application process," Boyer said.
Boyer said the chamber, based at Union Station in Pottsville, has copies of the applications and will make them available this week. The chamber is still in the process of fine-tuning its screening process for applicants.
Michael Durant, 13, of Port Carbon, a seventh-grade student at St. Ambrose School, Schuylkill Haven, was at Tuesday's presentation at Penn State with his mother, Mary Ann. He said he is planning to apply.
Boyer said during the class, students will be required to develop a business plan and take the steps necessary to start that business, which may include opening a bank account and applying for an Employer Identification Number.
"I might do something related to computers and technology. I think this will help students interact with possible investors and others when doing business," Durant said.
"I'm excited to see young people here. And I'm excited to see the YEA! program. Entrepreneurs create jobs. And the future entrepreneurs are going to create tomorrow's jobs for people. That's what it comes down to," said Mark Fanelli, president of American Computer Associates, Frackville, and Schuyl Inc., Frackville, and president of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.
Other local state, local and business representatives who came out to show their support included state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125; Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess Sr.; Kelly Austin, chancellor at Penn State Schuylkill; Lori Kane. community relations specialist at McCann School of Business & Technology, Pottsville; and Kay Jones, executive director of Schuylkill County's VISION.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy Inc. is based in Rochester, New York. It's celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, having been established in 2004 at the University of Rochester, according to its website at www.yeausa.org.
"Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors, and actually launch and run their own real, legal, fully formed companies and social movements. Complete with dynamic guest speakers from the local business community and exciting behind-the-scenes trips to local companies, the fun, projects-based YEA! approach empowers students to take charge of their futures in a profound way," according to the website.
"The Young Entrepreneurs Academy today serves thousands of students in 168 communities across America," according to the site.
In April, the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce decided to bring YEA! to Schuylkill County, Carl said.
"There was a $7,600 annual sponsorship fee that the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce has committed to for a three-year period. That sponsorship fee secures the chamber as the sponsoring organization for Schuylkill County, provides training for our program manager and offsets material and training costs," Carl said Tuesday.
The program will cost the chamber an estimated $28,350 to run per year. That includes the annual sponsorship fee, according to Carl and Boyer.
"The budget is a work in progress and will not be formulized - adopted by the chamber's board of directors - until the program manager can further develop the program based on her orientation," Carl said.
Boyer, Orwigsburg, has been a science teacher at Nativity BVM High School for more than 20 years. She is planning to retire in June. She said she will work part-time for the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce as its YEA! program manager.
The chamber will finance the program with grants, student tuition and administrative contributions, Carl said.
Penn State Schuylkill will be the "host site," Carl said.
"Penn State Schuylkill is the first campus in the Penn State University system to become a partner in a local YEA!," Walborn said.
"We'll have some learning to do in the first year, but we're hoping to turn it into a fine-tuned program," Carl said.
"I found it somewhat unique that we're ranging from 6th grade to 12th grade, a span of seven years. Can you comment on that from an educational perspective?" Wayne Lutsey, a commercial lender at VIST Bank, Schuylkill Haven, asked.
"My initial response was the same. I was very curious to see what the age group was and it surprised me, being a high school teacher, having some experience with junior high students as well. But I think that the process allows for this range in ages and range in grades. There are just some kids who are ready. They're ready to do some of these activities. They're ready to learn at this level and I don't think age or grade necessarily limits what these kids can accomplish," Boyer said.
For more information or an application, call the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce at 570-622-1942 or email Boyer at yea@schuylkillchamber.com.