Building The Entrepreneurial Pipeline In Your Community November 7, 2011

Non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization Active since early 1985 Presence in 94 of North Carolina’s 100 counties including: 50 K-12 Schools 57 Post-Secondary Educational Institutions 40 Community-Based and Economic Development Organizations Including: - Small Business Centers - Incubators - Cooperative Extension (4-H) NC REAL Enterprises

REAL Entrepreneurship is an entrepreneurship education program that helps youth and adults grow through hands-on entrepreneurship education. REAL teaches individuals entrepreneurial and business skills that help build community and economic development.

ApplicationExperience ExpansionReflection Experiential Learning Cycle “Tell me, and I forget, Show me, and I remember, Involve me, and I understand.”

Entrepreneurship Education provides opportunities for youth and adults to master competencies such as: –Opportunity Recognition –Creativity –Critical Thinking –Decision Making –Teamwork –Leadership Why Entrepreneurship Education?

Entrepreneurship Education Pioneer Experiential Learning Cycle Approach Team-Based Learning NC REAL Workshops and Institutes to train teachers in the REAL Curricula Why NC REAL Enterprises?

Why REAL Entrepreneurship? Provides opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs Provides help to write a business plan Enhances financial literacy skills Aligned With National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education Helps build sustainable small businesses Promotes economic development within communities

 The Communities in Schools of Caldwell County were awarded a grant to create an entrepreneurial focus to their programs  CIS reached out to the local chamber of commerce and the community college as partners  NC REAL worked with CIS to develop and deliver a series of facilitator trainings for their staff and community partners  CIS, NC REAL, and the community partners worked with their students to create small student-run businesses

 The Sequoyah Fund, a Native American CDFI that serves the Eastern Band of Cherokee, approaches NC REAL about teacher facilitator training  The Sequoyah Fund works with the K-12 School System, 4-H and the local community college to recruit teachers and administrators  NC REAL develops and delivers and specialized K-8 and High School REAL Institute for a wide range of teachers  The school system and Sequoyah Fund are developing a strategy to incorporate entrepreneurship throughout the curriculum

 The Town of Bayboro is a small town with a population less than 1,000 and is a STEP Community (Small Towns Economic Prosperity Demonstration Grant)  Through their work as a STEP community they designated entrepreneurship as one of their main economic development strategies  Bayboro and the County of Pamlico brought in NC REAL to deliver a specialized K-8 and High School REAL Institute for the K-12 and Community College teachers  The college and the public school system are now working together to create a more seamless entrepreneurship education system for their community

 Dislocated Worker Programs – since ,148 dislocated workers trained through NC REAL Programs 394 new businesses started / 188 existing small businesses expanded  Growing America Through Entrepreneurship (GATE)  Hop on the Bus! - Statewide High School Business Plan Competition  Agriculture Entrepreneurship - Specialty Crop and Value Added Project 29 western NC ARC Counties  Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative Burke, McDowell, Rutherford, Mitchell, Avery, Yancey Counties  Rural Home Healthcare Self-Employment Project Western Piedmont, Craven, Edgecombe, Roanoke-Chowan, Coastal Carolina  Growing REAL Agriculture Enterprises in Robeson County  From Entrepreneurship to Enterprises – A REAL Pathway Surry & Yadkin Counties

These programs brought together Community Colleges and Small Business Centers Community Lenders Community Organizers Economic Developers Chambers of Commerce Workforce Development Professionals K-12 Teachers Afterschool Programs

 Uptown Association works to promote the historically black part of downtown New Bern– Five Points.  Two volunteers from Uptown attended REAL facilitator training and now contract with the College’s Small Business Center to offer REAL Small Business Course for Five Points residents.  Worked together to develop an introduction course to prepare students for full small business courses.

 Easier to approach organizations to participate in youth programs.  Brought in speakers, judges, and donors from groups throughout the community.  Created and strengthened relationships between community groups and the college

 The Energizing Entrepreneurship for Rural America is a national curriculum that North Carolina has used to inspire locally based entrepreneurship development strategies  Communities send diverse teams to the three-four day workshop  Team members learn to work together and find common goals  Teams leave the workshop with a strategy to build entrepreneurship in their communities

 Created a team to build entrepreneurship development  Team, spearheaded by the community college, included local chambers, local governments, economic development office and K-12 educators  Held workshops throughout the county  Encouraged teachers and community organizations to learn how to teach entrepreneurship  Brought local business owners and business support providers into the classroom

 Reached out to dislocated workers throughout Robeson County by visiting JobLink Center weekly.  Small Business Center contracted with a REAL facilitator at a rural community center to offer a course to local laid off workers.  REAL Course offered at the local community center instead of the college.  REAL facilitator brought in local business owners as speakers and supporters.

Look toward community organizations for instructors Increases training capacity for community organizations and provides connection to underserved audiences. Start with youth Easier to initiate involvement with a youth focused activity and expand to other ages. Engage Community Groups in Creating an Entrepreneurship Development Strategy Provides chance to develop relationships with other organizations while creating a culture of entrepreneurship. Create a welcoming, non-intimidating program through careful choice of location, curriculum, activities and speakers Builds a relationship of trust and understanding with partner organizations and their clients.

Youth Youth Entrepreneurship Summer Camp Building Entrepreneurial Skills (BES) REAL Innovative Student Enterprises (RISE) Youth REAL Entrepreneurship Adult  REAL Entrepreneurship  REAL Agriculture  REAL Home Healthcare  REAL Focused Entrepreneurship Seminars  REAL Online  Online Business Courses NC REAL Tools to Use

REAL Activity: Unique Things (Marketing / Creativity)

NC REAL Enterprises 3739 National Drive, Suite 110 Raleigh, NC Malinda Todd (919) ext. 126 Arlene Childers - Western NC (919) Contact Information