Page 191 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

180 Joseph Kayne

Target audiences include those most likely to benefit from the creation of
businesses in the community—banks, realtors, accountants, and lawyers—
and individuals from whom these aspiring young entrepreneurs will even-
tually need to buy goods and services. School administrators may be sur-
prised at the business community’s positive response to their requests. If
practitioner involvement at the collegiate level is any indication of entre-
preneurs’ interest in giving back to the community, elementary and middle
school officials will not have much of a selling job. A recent study by Jerome
Katz (2004) at St. Louis University showed that entrepreneurship programs
are among the most heavily endowed activities at many universities.
The second dimension of the resource issue centers on the identification
and development of human resources. This challenge is amplified because
entrepreneurship education does not fit a traditional “teach and test” model.
At the outset, teachers will still introduce concepts; however, their primary
role quickly shifts to that of facilitator, monitor, mentor, and evaluator.
Rather than providing information, teachers stimulate by asking ques-
tions for which the students find their own answers. As students test the
concepts, the instructor provides guidance and discusses options with
them. At the end of the process, the teacher identifies teaching moments in
which the major lessons from the students’ experiences can be reinforced.
Schools have used the following methods to address the human capacity
issues associated with their entrepreneurship education programs:

• Identify and recruit area business owners and entrepreneurs as guest
speakers and student mentors. Once engaged in the program, business
people develop a sense of ownership, which often results in financial
support as a consequential benefit of their initial in-kind contribution
of time, knowledge, and experience. One caveat to this approach is that
success in the business arena does not necessarily translate into success
in the classroom. Practitioners may require some up-front instruction
and coaching as they prepare for the classroom experience. 7
• Take advantage of teacher training provided by organizations such as
the Kauffman Foundation and REAL.
• Create a circuit-riding position within or among school districts to
spread the cost of an entrepreneurship instructor.
• Involve SIFE students from area colleges and universities.
• Make entrepreneurship classes in high schools an option under a Col-
lege Now program with a community college or local university.
• Supplement classroom instruction by encouraging students to partici-
pate in related extracurricular activities such as DECA or pursuing the
Boy Scout merit badges in entrepreneurship.
• Explore the increasing number of options for online content that can
be used by teachers in the classroom.