In the News

Kempsville High School students in the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy are busy preparing. The INCubatoredu Program’s 5th Annual Pitch Night is Wednesday at 5 p.m. Watch as six teams present their business pitches and plans to a panel of successful judges. With real seed money on the line to fund their businesses, the stakes are high for these sophomores.

“No two days are the same. We’re trying to tackle a different problem every day in class. And it’s not all work. It’s fun too, and it’s something I enjoy,” Senior Christian Long said. “Just being in an environment where other people are pursuing similar goals, but at the same time doing something totally different, I think that’s super powerful.”

This spring, we’ve found pockets of excellence in three dozen high school visits...where we’ve spotted evidence of deeper learning (i.e., engagement, critical thinking, excellent public products). It’s been work that matters to the learner and their community– it’s relevant, purposeful, and consequential work.

“I see quite a few people here that maybe are not familiar with what INCubatoredu is and how fortunate the Farmington High School and the school district is to have this,” she said. “I've said this many times, but I'm so proud. Farmington High School is the first school in the state of Missouri to have the program.

The solutions to the long-standing inequities female entrepreneurs face are equally complex. But one idea is emerging as a prime opportunity for all students, regardless of gender, to learn the skills needed to thrive in the modern economy. High school entrepreneurship education programs, such as the INCubatoredu classes I teach are a vehicle for propelling more young women into entrepreneurship and business leadership roles. This is especially important since more than half of Gen Z, people born after 1997, plan to start their own businesses at some point in their lives.

Entrepreneurship is a long, but rewarding, journey and it requires time, talent, financial resources, and community support to create success.  If I hadn’t taken note of these brothers during my early morning work outs, I would have missed out on discovering the incredible story of DeoBlock and how I could offer guidance and resources for these young entrepreneurs.

At this very moment, women across the United States are sitting on million-dollar ideas, like a product that fills a niche or a service that solves a unique challenge. And increasingly, women are turning those ideas into entrepreneurship opportunities. Women accounted for 49% of business startups in 2021, a 28% jump from two years earlier. 

High school students who partake in entrepreneurial experiences through a rigorous curriculum and who may dream of starting their own business can earn college credit while following their passion, thanks to a new partnership between Stuart School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology and Uncharted Learning, a not-for-profit organization committed to providing authentic entrepreneurship experiences for students in school districts across the nation.

The popular television show "Shark Tank" made its way out of California and into a classroom at Lake Belton High School on Tuesday.

It's part of the INCubatoredu program the district offers to upperclassmen. It gives an authentic entrepreneurship experience, with the help of local business owners.

More than 40 students took the opportunity to deliver their business ideas to 22 different local business owners in a "Shark Tank" style pitch. The ideas included, apps, programs, and other services the students believe are needed in society.