The entrepreneurs of tomorrow are in our schools today. Not just in our universities and community colleges, but in our high schools and middle schools are grade schools are the creative, innovative thinkers and does who will change our world.
Our goal in entrepreneurial education is to encourage, support and facilitate classroom experiences that enable our young entrepreneurs to follow their dreams. Iowa Western’s Entrepreneurial Center works with IWCC faculty to develop programs that introduce our students to entrepreneurial processes through classroom instruction, internships, business consulting and mentor relationships. We also have a working partnership with the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Iowa to provide an entrepreneurial experiential learning opportunity for students and entrepreneurial consulting services for businesses.
E-Center Educational Resources
At the IWCC Entrepreneurial Center, we offer free resources to help students on their path to becoming entrepreneurs. Some of the resources available include:
- Sample business plans
- Free access to research databases
- SBDC and SCORE counselors
- Financial reporting guidelines
- Advertising and marketing support
For more information on these resources, contact the E-Center at 712-256-6552 or e-mail jmierau@iwcc.edu.
Student Resources
Through the Entrepreneurial Center, Iowa Western Community College offers its students resources to research and begin the process of starting a business. Among a wealth of resources available in our library are sample business plans and organizational structures, the latest information on effectively using the Internet in a small business and financial analyses guidelines for start-ups.
We also offer access to extensive databases that students and use at no charge. Our SBDC and SCORE counselors are available to students who are ready to take the first step in entrepreneurship. We can assist students in finding internships or mentors, and we can work with any student within our seven-county Southwest Iowa area.
For more information on these resources, contact the E-Center at 712-256-6552 or e-mail jmierau@iwcc.edu.
Educator Resources
The Entrepreneurial Center assists teachers and faculty in developing curricula that incorporate entrepreneurship. We offer classroom instructional materials, curricula and activity guides for teachers at all grade levels. We can help find speakers, counselors, mentors and other resources to aid in classroom and extracurricular entrepreneurship activities.
In June, we will offer a two-day teacher training in entrepreneurship, developed and presented by the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Center (www.iowajpec.org/k12program/training.html). The training is scheduled June 19 and 20, 2008. For more information, contact Julie Mierau, jmierau@iwcc.edu.
Iowa Western Community College also is working with high school educators to develop a core course in entrepreneurship. We plan to introduce the course curriculum early in 2009, for use in classrooms in fall 2009.
Entrepreneur Week
Each year, the Entrepreneurial Center hosts special events in conjunction with International Entrepreneurship Week. This year, we will host our celebration in November. Check back for additional details or visit www.unleashingideas.org.
