Page 194 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

Effective Entrepreneurship Education Programs 183

understand the phenomenon of entrepreneurship, to advance entrepre-
neurship education and training efforts, to promote entrepreneurship-
friendly policies, and to better facilitate the commercialization of new tech-
nologies by entrepreneurs.” The Kauffman Foundation is recognized as a
major catalyst for the design and implementation of entrepreneurship edu-
cation programs such as Mini-Society, EntrePrep, and the Kauffman Entre-
preneurship Intern Program.

Mini-Society
Mini-Society (www.minisociety.com/) is an elementary school level pro-
gram designed to introduce young children to the most basic concepts as-
sociated with business and entrepreneurship. Through teacher-guided ses-
sions, students identify opportunities for products and services that may be
delivered to their classmates or to the school. Development and distribu-
tion of the product or service involves recognizing the role of opportunity
costs and the allocation of resources.

National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship

Started in 1987, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
(NFTE) (www.nfte.com) focuses on inner-city youth who are at risk of
dropping out of school. Through entrepreneurship education, NFTE chan-
nels students’ innate abilities toward productive enterprises, which demon-
strates the relevance of classroom learning to the real world.

Rural Education through Action Learning

Rural Education through Action Learning (REAL) (www.cfed.org/go/real)
was started in the early 1980s to bring entrepreneurship education to com-
munities, especially those in rural areas, which had little or no access to
such a curriculum. REAL, which affiliated with the Corporation for Enter-
prise Development (CFED) in 2004, provides curriculum, training, and re-
sources through which students learn about the requirements and rewards
associated with an entrepreneurial career choice.

Students in Free Enterprise
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) (www.sife.org) is an international or-
ganization through which college students in cooperation with their col-
leges, universities, and local business communities develop outreach pro-
grams that encourage and support free enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Activities include design and development of student-owned businesses as
well as mentoring of at-risk high school students.