The Innovation and Gig Economy requires students to graduate with an entrepreneurial mindset (opportunity recognition, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, initiative, collaboration, etc.) even if they do not start their own business. 40% of Americans have a side hustle and nearly 50% of today’s youth say they intend to start their own business someday. Entrepreneurial skills are an increasingly essential part of workforce development and overlap with the workplace readiness skills employers say they want in new hires in a rapidly changing workplace. Communities also thrive when its members are empowered to become change agents by offering business-centered solutions to unmet community needs.

Moreover, entrepreneurial skills are transferable life skills that are real game-changers for disenfranchised youth living in impoverished areas because they develop intrinsic motivation, growth mindset, resourcefulness, adaptability, resiliency, calculated risk-taking, and agency—to name a few. Even starting simple side hustles requiring minimal start-up costs to earn additional income offers freedom, hope, and empowerment via more personally fulfilling careers while capitalizing on and affirming existing skills and talents.

Highly adaptable and multidisciplinary, entrepreneurship knowledge, skills, and mindsets seamlessly integrate across grades, core academic subjects, and CTE courses so students have the option to own their own business in any career pathway. These skills are also correlated to higher rates of college enrollment, higher earnings, and job satisfaction. Additionally, using entrepreneurship as a real-world instructional context optimizes student engagement and motivation by unleashing students’ potential to pursue their own unique interests, hobbies, and passions in the classroom.

Using experiential learning and a field-tested curriculum, Institute participants simultaneously learn basic entrepreneurship content and instructional best-practices by reviewing classroom-ready resources (news articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, textbooks, lessons, PPT slides, test bank, etc.) and completing assignments that they can turnaround and use with their students with little to no further preparation. Easily customizable, the Institute content is extremely flexible and accessible to middle and high school students using inquiry, performance, and project-based learning objectives. Online modules are self-paced and live Zoom classes feature introductions to supportive community partners, grassroots adult and high school student entrepreneurs who share “lessons learned,” and breakout groups for statewide networking, collaboration, resource sharing, and lesson planning. Practical module assignments result in a collection of co-created lessons (Part A) and a business plan first draft (Part B) to inspire creative strategies for high quality education and self/employment outcomes.