In the News

The Belton Independent School District is looking to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs at Lake Belton High School by implementing the INCubatoredu program this upcoming fall.

In a business incubator class, they focused on coming up with ways to help revive local businesses. They saw how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted brick-and-mortar stores in downtown Oak Park, and they just wanted to do something. The end result is The Box: Oak Park, a gift box service catering to area residents.

Project Green is an interdisciplinary project at Munster High School in Indiana that engages students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math through hands-on learning experiences. The curricular topics integrated by the project include science, water conservation, computer science, art & design, entrepreneurship, and engineering. Students apply the skills and knowledge they acquired during different lessons. 

We may not always know or be able to influence what is going on in a students’ personal life, but we do have control of providing access to (and being) that one caring adult. I’ve recently had the opportunity to serve as a mentor for Lake Zurich High School’s IncubatorEDU program...As their mentor, I am there to encourage them, connect them to others that can support their growth, and push them outside of their comfort zone.

Looking for the next big thing? You may find it on the third floor of New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus.

Tucked in a corner classroom, teenaged minds are nurturing and workshopping business ideas in Startup U, an entrepreneurship class in the business education program.

The year-long class, which is led by Sara Burnett and Bob Bollweg, unites student groups and their ideas with mentors, members of the New Trier community who offer real-world experience as the students build and pitch their ideas.

AUSTIN (KXAN)– Each SXSW, a competition called Pitch puts companies of new, innovative technology head-to-head to present their ideas to a live audience and expert judges, and win investors.

The tour began with a stop in Munster High School’s Incubator, a business program where students are able to pitch real business ideas, obtain funding and eventually create a product. There were 10 projects this year, and Suzanne Crouch and state Rep. Mike Andrade got to speak individually with some of the students.

After over a decade in the youth-entrepreneurship space I’ve seen programs come and go and I’ve witnessed those who welcome collaboration and those who push it away. Given my belief that all youth need access to entrepreneur education, I am always more fond of those who believe in working together to find creative ways to reach all students. 

When students recognize the purpose of what they’re learning, they’re more likely to dig deeper, and teachers who lead students to solve problems with authentic projects have learners who are more invested in engaging with new content...While implementing project-based learning may seem scary, it’s possible, and now even more critical for students than ever.