What do solar outerwear clothing, jewelry design/classes, therapeutic horseback riding, a sweets store and a trampoline/bounce house all have in common? Theyâ re all part of several entrepreneurial ideas and business plans developed by more than 65 statewide Vermont high school and technical center students in the4thAnnualVT REAL
Youth EntrepreneurshipBusiness Plan Competition.
On Friday, June 29th, at a special awards’ceremony, planned in their honor, nine students will be recognized for their creative and outstanding work in developing full business plans - some may even start-up their innovative enterprises. The event will be held at Vermont Technical College, Williston ‘Conference Room 401B. The top business plan winners receive: first place $750, second place $500 and third place $300 plus six honorable mention students receive $75 each ‘from co-sponsors Opportunity Credit Union and New England Federal Credit Union. Teachers, parents, VTC, SBA,VtSBDCrepresentatives, and many other leaders will be present to cheer on these dynamic individuals!
VTREALâ sannual Business Plan Competition, sponsored this year by Opportunities Credit Union, New England Federal Credit Union,and VT REALgives students a chance to shine, to explore their â be my own boss’dreams and practice the skills they have honed through theirVT REALexperiential learnings/â hands-on’applications while in school. The Contestis a great teaching tool for business, marketing, financial literacy/personal finance, problem solving, discovery, creativity and citizenship topics - 21stCentury Skills, plus itâ s designed to give students areal lifeexperience within an educational setting. It is a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
"REAL - Rural Entrepreneurship Through Action Learning- is an experiential learningcurriculum that develops entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, and guides participants throughthe process of planning, creating, and operating small businesses of their own design⠦⠦⠦todevelopand advance a continuum of entrepreneurship education throughout Vermont, therebycreating a pipeline of new entrepreneurs and critical thinkingemployees for the stateâ s future workforce.â
VTREALleaders recognize that educating our youth about entrepreneurship is vital to the success of Vermont and its overall economy.â We want to encourage young people to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, to explore the creative process of new venture creation, and to consider self-employment as a career choice, said Laurel Butler, VT REALLeadership Team Member.Students and teachers alike have praised the competition as a starting point for many successful new student businesses or as having served as a catalyst for making their business idea and/or another idea(s) realities in the future. â It is our hope that these skills will lay the foundation to help the students academically, personally, and professionally long after they matriculate from secondary education’Butler continued.
For more information, please contact: Laurel Butler,VT REALLeadership Team Member at:(802) 922-3692[email protected].
VT REALis Co-Sponsored by:Secondary, CTE, and Adult Ed Division, Vermont Department of Education, Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), Vermont Technical College (VTC),Vermont REAL Enterprises, and VT Business Education Corp (VBEC).