Entrepreneurship in afterschool
OregonASK is working alongside national and regional partners to curate and customize resources, facilitate connections, and promote programs or models that facilitate entrepreneurial skills and mindset, particularly in expanded learning opportunities. We are hoping to help raise awareness about the importance of helping youth learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, as entrepreneurial skills relate to growth mindset, career-connected learning, design thinking, digital literacy, and success in many social and academic areas, including STEM, career and technical education, college readiness and other core areas of educational and personal development.
Oregon Entrepreneurship Resources Map
We created a database and interactive map of entrepreneurship-related organizations and programs across Oregon to help build connections and mentorships. A guide for directions will show when you view the map.
Why Teach Entrepreneurial Skills & Mindset in Afterschool & Summer?
We love this graphic from VentureLab about the value of entrepreneurial skills and mindset. Developing these skills and attitudes help youth to be successful in all kinds of life endeavors – not just entrepreneurial endeavors – which is why we believe entrepreneurship programming should be a part of as many expanded learning opportunities as possible.
Education Programs & Curriculum
Interested in implementing entrepreneurship education in your program? Check out some of these resources down below:
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VentureLab Entrepreneurship Curriculum for Enrichment Programs (All Grades Levels) – OregonASK partner – contact us if you would like to be a part of a fall 2022 pilot program
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NFTE Entrepreneurial Mindset Resources & Curriculum (Gr. 6-12)
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Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Programs (All Grade Levels)
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Project Echo Entrepreneurship Programs, After School Activities & Clubs (Gr. 6-12) for Middle & High School model that helps demonstrate….
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LemonadeDay (Gr. 3-5) is an experiential program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their very own lemonade stand. Resources and curriculum available targeting 3rd-5th grade
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WagiLabs Kidpreneur Playbook & Teacher’s Guide (Gr. 3-6) – Free resources with lessons about generating ideas, meeting needs, empathy, design thinking, iterating solutions, prototyping, creating a pitch, and connecting with mentors. WagiLabs lessons are designed especially for kids in elementary schools and in afterschool programs.
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KidInnovator (All Grade Levels) – Entrepreneurship Curriculum for Upper Elementary and Middle School Education – $129
- BizInnovator (Gr. 9-12) – Entrepreneurship Curriculum for Secondary Education
- KidEntrepreneurship (All Grade Levels) – Free Entrepreneurship Education for K-12 schools & families
- TYE Oregon High School (Gr. 8-12) – TYE Youth Entrepreneurship curriculum for high school students is accessible by a code to teachers who participate in the TIE/TYE training or pay for the curriculum. Any interested teachers can sign-up.
- Mizzen by Mott Entrepreneurship Lessons (Grade Levels Vary) – Download the app or create an account on the website and get access to all sorts of different types of lessons! Choose “Sort by Category” to choose Entrepreneurship lessons, or explore all they have to offer!
- Kids’ Money – Entrepreneurship Lessons (Gr. K-8) – A bunch of tips, learning objectives, worksheets, and pre-built lesson plans to help you build your curriculum to teach students about entrepreneurship!
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Teaching Math, Science & Entrepreneurship Making T-Shirts (Gr. 9-12) – Ideal for makerspaces or groups who have access to a T-shirt press!
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Nestle Youth Entrepreneurship Platform (Gr. 9-12) – Empowering young innovators around the world to shape the future of food
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Business Innovation Journey (Gr. 7-12) – A week course for middle and high school students – a class or a student can enroll in this online adventure in which students will build actual businesses around their interests.
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StartupSmartup (All Grades) – A (paid) curriculum with eleven real businesses students can start this weekend, with self-directive lessons exploring social and emotional learning and college and career readiness
Virtual Career Exploration, Guest Speakers, and Field Trips:
Research shows that EACH time a youth is presented with career-related information, there will be an increase in their future income or earning potential. Believe it or not, there is a strong probability that each time you show a two-minute career exploration video, host a virtual guest speaker, or share examples of entrepreneurial ventures and businesses, your students’ future income will increase. Also, youth can only work toward what they know about (although all of the entrepreneurial skills and mindsets will help find success in jobs that may not even exist yet). So it is important to build in time for some career exploration to present different types of jobs, fields, businesses and careers and the pathways people have taken or could take to move into those various fields. These resources can help:
OregonConnections / Pathful Connect – An amazing collection of videos & remote guest speakers you can schedule to speak with your youth – Ask your local STEM Hub if they can provide free access!
Entrepreneurship Games
Needing something more engaging? Check out some fun entrepreneurship games below:
These games including Lemonopolis, Stock-o-Mania, and Virtonomics
- All ages
- Varied pricing
Snake Oil – Pitching, Creativity, Presentations skills
- $15 – $25 on Amazon
- ‘Ages 8+
- 10 – 60 Minutes
- 3+ Players
- $55
- Ages 8- 10
- 2-6 Players
The Entrepreneur Board Game (by EESpeaks) – Math, Critical Thinking, Decision-Making, Budgeting, Investing, Branding, Negotiating, Marketing, Partnership, and a host of other 21st Century skills and concepts to survive and acquire money in this New World
- $50
- Ages 12+
- Ages 12+
- 2 to 6 Players
YEI’s list of Entrepreneurial games have a variety of card games, online games and board games for all ages to teach and reinforce a wide variety of entrepreneurial skills and mindsets!
Want more resources?
Through this online course, educators will understand some of the reasons why teaching youth entrepreneurial skills and mindsets is important, explore several ways to integrate this learning into their STEAM programs and activities, and design a sample integrated lesson plan to fully engage students in their own programs.
VentureLab Online Interactive Games & Tools – Interactive online games like the Business Builder Tool, Random Mindset Activity Card Picker, Story Starters, Pitch Game & Wacky Inventions Game, plus a lot of downloadable and printable resources like lessons, posters, cards and more.
With activities ranging from classes to competitions, apprenticeships to guest speakers, Young Entrepreneur Institute reaches students in grades K – 12 and through a wide variety of institutions. In addition to a robust suite of activities for University School students, we support the broader youth entrepreneurship ecosystem with community-wide programs for kids and educators.
UN Report – This report explores aspects of youth entrepreneurship around the world, including the importance of context and the role of the informal economy. The report presents good practices to promote youth entrepreneurship as a way to maintain global employment rates and provide sustained livelihood opportunities to vulnerable groups.
The 6 Ps of Empowering Youth Entrepreneurs is a young social entrepreneurs can use the “6 Ps” to improve their project, including activating with people, selecting a purpose, championing a plan, enacting a priority, testing solutions, and designing for profit.
This report aims to clarify some basic tenets of entrepreneurship in education, focusing on what it is, why it is relevant to society, when it is applied or not and how to do it in practice.
Unicef Report – includes some key areas to consider when engaging in entrepreneurship support for youth.
An Oregon Entrepreneurship Organization with Youth Entrepreneurship support
The Entrepreneurship Mindsets PD Course is by VentureLab. You’ll discover and learn real life applications for practicing entrepreneurial mindsets in your education program.