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Middle and High School Programs
Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Career Readiness for Young Innovators
Youth Entrepreneurs provides hands-on entrepreneurship, leadership, financial literacy, career readiness, and business development programs for middle and high school students across Connecticut.
Our programs are designed to help young people build confidence, discover their strengths, develop practical skills, and see themselves as future entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders. Through interactive workshops, mentoring, project-based learning, and real-world experiences, students learn how to turn ideas into action and connect their goals to future educational, career, and business opportunities.
Youth Entrepreneurs does not operate from one brick-and-mortar location. Instead, we bring our programs directly to students through schools, community centers, universities, housing communities, workforce partners, and other community-based sites. This flexible model allows YE to meet students where they are and expand access to enrichment opportunities across Connecticut.
Program Pathways
Middle School Program
Ages 11–14
Our middle school program introduces students to entrepreneurship, teamwork, leadership, financial literacy, and community problem-solving. Students participate in hands-on activities that help them build confidence, practice communication, and begin exploring how their ideas can make a difference.
Students learn to:
- Identify problems and develop creative solutions
- Work in teams
- Practice leadership and communication
- Explore business and social impact ideas
- Build confidence and self-awareness
- Connect learning to their school, community, and future goals
High School Program
Ages 14–18
Our high school program helps students deepen their entrepreneurial mindset while developing career readiness, leadership, financial literacy, and presentation skills. Students explore business development, social innovation, workforce pathways, college exposure, and professional communication.
Students learn to:
- Develop business or social impact ideas
- Create basic business models
- Build financial literacy skills
- Explore careers and industries
- Practice public speaking and pitching
- Strengthen professionalism, teamwork, and goal setting
- Engage with entrepreneurs, mentors, and community leaders
Young Adult and Adult Workshops
Ages 18+
Youth Entrepreneurs also offers workshops for young adults, emerging entrepreneurs, and professionals who want to strengthen their business, leadership, career, and entrepreneurial thinking skills.
These sessions may focus on:
- Business development
- Career growth
- Leadership identity
- Professional communication
- Startup planning
- Entrepreneurial mindset
- Community-centered innovation
Signature Workshops
Career Readiness
Students build workforce skills such as communication, professionalism, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, financial literacy, and leadership.
Idea to Pitch
Students participate in an innovation lab where they turn ideas into business or social impact pitches through creativity, research, teamwork, and presentation practice.
Financial Literacy
Students learn practical money skills, including budgeting, saving, understanding paychecks, needs versus wants, credit basics, and financial goal setting.
Social Innovation Lab
Students explore real community challenges and design ideas that create positive change in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
College and Career Exposure
Students are introduced to postsecondary pathways, career options, entrepreneurship opportunities, and professionals who help them imagine what is possible for their future.
What Students Gain
By participating in Youth Entrepreneurs programs, students build practical skills and complete hands-on projects that help prepare them for school, work, business, and life.
Students may complete:
- Business or social impact idea development
- Career exploration activities
- Financial literacy worksheets and savings goals
- Pitch presentations
- Leadership and teamwork activities
- Reflection journals
- Community problem-solving projects
- Portfolio artifacts
- Final showcases or pitch competitions
Through these experiences, students strengthen communication, confidence, problem-solving, financial awareness, leadership, and career readiness skills.
Why It Matters
Many students have limited access to entrepreneurship education, financial literacy, professional networks, and early career exposure. Youth Entrepreneurs helps close opportunity gaps by bringing hands-on learning directly to schools, community centers, universities, housing communities, and partner sites. Our programs give students the chance to explore their interests, develop their voice, build practical skills, and connect their ideas to real opportunities in their communities.
Program Format
Youth Entrepreneurs offers flexible programming that can be customized for schools, community organizations, and partner sites.
Program formats may include:
- After-school programs
- Summer enrichment programs
- One-day workshops
- Multi-session workshops
- 5-week programs
- 6-week programs
- 10-week programs
- 15-week semester-based programs
- Pitch competitions and showcase events
Partner With Us
Youth Entrepreneurs partners with schools, community organizations, universities, workforce partners, and funders to bring entrepreneurship and career readiness programming directly to students.
To explore partnership opportunities, sponsor a program, or bring YE to your site, please contact:
Youth Entrepreneurs
Phone: 203-392-1710
Email: LaquitaMcGraw@YouthEntrepreneursCT.com
Website: www.youthentrepreneursct.com and participants.