It's Never Too Early - Teenagers Starting Businesses
Established in 2011, the Teen Entrepreneur Academy (TEA) is a hands-on, learn-by-doing, one-week residential business entrepreneurship start-up summer camp for high school students. It is held annually in July at Concordia University in Irvine, California, USA. TEA teaches high school students real-world entrepreneurship, best business practices, principles of free enterprise, and "how to" start and launch their own business. Teenagers (TeenPreneurs), working in groups of 3-to-4, work as entrepreneurs by preparing start-up business plans for their own real businesses. The team with the best start-up business plan wins $1,500 in the entrepreneurship business plan competition sponsored by Citi and held on the last day of the summer camp academy.
Preparing Future Business Leaders: One-week Residential Business Summer Camp Academy for High School Students.
The challenges facing high school students and our world grow more complex every day. Our world needs fresh ideas, innovative solutions, and visionary leaders who can make them happen. These leaders are entrepreneurs. America's future is dependent upon the next generation of entrepreneurs, young people with new ideas and big dreams and the tools and training necessary to realize them.
Steve, you put on a great program. I feel much better about the next generation if what I saw yesterday is an example. Your investment in the future is wonderful, and I am proud that Concordia is thinking of the future when you put such programs together. Kudos to you!
- Frank Singer, Business Plan Competition Judge, Founder, Tech Coast Angels
This hands-on training is available at a summer business academy at Concordia University through our innovative Teen Entrepreneur Academy (TEA). It's never too early to teach young people the basic principles of business and entrepreneurship. TEA provides high school students with real-world business training that helps teenagers become leaders with ethics and integrity. In one week, TEA will teach the principles and practices of entrepreneurship and how to start their own business.
| Topics Covered: Principles of Entrepreneurship |
| Clarifying Your Idea |
Taking Calculated Risks |
| Start-up Budget |
Cash Flow & Projections |
| Market Research |
Marketing Strategies |
| Business Model Development |
Sales Techniques |
| Channels of Distribution |
Customer Acquisition |
| Building a Team |
Business Launch Strategies |
| Outline a Business Plan |
Investor Presentation |
| Elevator Pitch |
Raising Investment Capital |
| Business Plan Competition |
Students learn how to realize the business ideas or the passion in their hearts for business. Faculty from Concordia's School of Business and Economics, local successful business leaders, and entrepreneurs provide training. Student teams will write business plans and learn best business practices and strategies for starting a business. TEA is limited to 100 high school students. Investment is $1,250 (financial assistance available for low-income families) for United States citizen students and $1,850 for International students (US dollars) for living on campus for one week, including room, board, books, field trips, and classes.