Page 181 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

170 Joseph Kayne

and teachers to question their perspectives on education, their career, and
life in general. Finally, the emphasis on creativity and lateral thinking can
create chaos and confusion in an environment where order and discipline
are valued.
A conceptual discussion of the keys to an effective entrepreneurship pro-
gram follows. It does not cover specific curriculum or pedagogy. Readers are
encouraged to visit the online resources presented at the end of this chap-
ter for additional ideas and specific examples of entrepreneurship programs
and activities through which these concepts can be implemented.

Look Everywhere for Potential Entrepreneurship Students

The first key to an effective entrepreneurship education program requires
teachers and counselors to look beyond the usual suspects as the students
with the most entrepreneurial potential. Conventional wisdom suggests
that students with early interests in earning their own money (e.g., a paper
route or lemonade stand) or a high aptitude in mathematics translates into
future entrepreneurial activity. While these students should not be dis-
missed, a larger pool of future entrepreneurs exists among students who
have shown little or no previous interest in business.
An examination of the Inc. 500 and Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the
Year candidates conducted by the Kauffman Foundation in 2001 found
only 25 percent of these successful business owners had an undergraduate
degree in business (Kauffman Foundation, Strategic Planning White Paper
2001). Not surprising is that many majored in engineering and the natural
sciences. It is also interesting to note that a large number of America’s most
accomplished entrepreneurs’ academic interests included the arts or social
sciences.
If entrepreneurship is truly about pursuing a passion, educators should
recognize that any student who exhibits commitment and initiative may fit
the profile. Consider the musician or athlete who spends hours every day
honing skills to deliver the best possible performance. It is this same un-
derstanding of and dedication to excellence one finds in most successful en-
trepreneurs.
Second only to passion is the ability to sell one’s vision to others. There-
fore, students who excel in language arts or participate on the debate team
also deserve consideration. The lack of a formula for identifying future suc-
cessful entrepreneurs, therefore, presents both a challenge and an opportu-
nity. Unlike the European systems of placing students on career tracks at an
early age, there is no aptitude test or personality profile that clearly assesses
one’s future entrepreneurial proclivity. That same lack of preciseness suggests
the entrepreneurial pool is significantly greater than one might assume.