| Educator 500 Project |
| Entrepreneurship Project |
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| Project Summary |
| Submitted By |
| Laketa Dumas |
| Submission Category |
| Teacher |
| Project Summary |
| The Entrepreneurship Project (EP) is the first inclusionary entrepreneurship program in the U.S. designed for disabled and non-disabled students. The pilot program was launched in 2007 at Kettering West Wing, a special education school in colloboration with Marcus Garvey Academy, a general education school, both are Detroit Public School. The students developed four products last year and sold them throughout the community and raised $16,000 in four months to go to United States Patent and Trademark and Hershey. The program received the National Entrepreneurship Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Field of Business Creativity and Entrepreneurship by the National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in 2009. The Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education for their inclusion innovative entrepreneurship program with Garvey Academy. In 2008, the program was awarded best entrepreneurship classroom in Michigan from the Council of Exceptional Children. |
| Grade Level(s) |
Middle School
High School
Special Education |
| Subject Area(s) |
| Business |
| State Academic Standard(s) Addressed |
Michigan Department Education Benchmarks & Career Employability Skills Content Standards & Benchmark
National Content Standard of Entrepreneurship
Howard Gardner's Seven Theories of Multiple Intelligence
Bloom's Taxonomy Learning Domains |
| Project Type |
| New Model |
| Project Exemplifies |
Business Involvement
Community Outreach |
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| Project Detail |
| Uniqueness of Project Developed |
The Entrepreneurship Project (EP) is the first inclusionary entrepreneurship program in the country designed for disabled and non-disabled students. The groups of students are from two different schools in Detroit Public Schools. The first group is comprised of non-disabled from Marcus Garvey Academy. The second group is from Kettering West Wing High School, a center-based special education program students are Mentally Cognitive Imparied (MOCI). We are in the third year of the pilot program, housed in Kettering West Wing High School. The program enables non-disabled and disabled students to work side-by-side in developing a product and selling it to their target consumers.
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| Project Goals and How They Meet Student Needs |
The Entrepreneurship Project consists of three phases: Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Product Development, and Venture Creation. Students have the advantage of seeing their visions come to fruition using a step-by-step curriculum developed by me. Students learn hands-on and have the real life exposure and experience, including the obstacles, hurdles, setbacks and errors that come with being an entreprePhase
(1) Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Students will be introduced to entrepreneurship concepts and the fundamentals of operating a business. Students will take a journey through researching renowned entrepreneurs who has impact our country. They will go through the step-by-step hands-on logistic process of starting a company, utilizing real world strategies that will emulate the business process.
Phase (2) Product Development
Students will learn the concepts of product development from invention to learning how to protect their invention through the process of intellectual property. Students will be actively engaged in team parliamentary procedures, and learn how to raise capital and prepare for investors.
Phase (3) Venture Creation
Students will learn how to develop their own company. The venture creation is an advanced course for students who have completed at least one of the phases. Students will have the opportunity to apply their experience from phase one or two of the program into developing their own company. The Venture Creation is a two-year phase where students will work on the development of their company. The program entails product/service development, marketing research, test study, advertising, intellectual property, accounting, bookkeeping, legal structure, product launching and customer service. Students will work with a business mentor who will assist them in launching their company. |
| Project Activities |
| The Entrepreneurship Program has been designed to meet the various learning styles of disabled students. The entire program is hands-on and employs real-world entrepreneurship concepts. Students are learning mathematics, bookkeeping, language arts, presentation development, brainstorming techniques, negotiation skills, customer service etiquette, research and marketing and intellectual property.The hands-on program teaches special and general eduation population how to develop and launch a product or service utlilizing real world strategies. Students are learning collectively how to develop a product, create marketing strategies, understand pricing methods, build selling techniques, comprehend intellectual property, find investors, become innovators, complete a business plan and sell their products throughout the community. |
| How Student Learning is Measured |
We have established a partnership with Wayne State University College of Education and their Technology Department. Students utilize their computer lab twice a month for business research and development; in addition, WSU student teachers are earning community hours from volunteering in the program. The program is true inclusion and has forged a business relationship between Marcus Garvey Academy and Kettering West Wing with exuberant lasting team cohesiveness.
We also have a volunteer from the community who works with students each week. Local businesses have been given us discount rates on products and allowing us to used their organization to raised money for various activities.
An organization has donated the use of their skating rink and goverment entities have allowed us to used their establishments to set-up vendor tables free of charge.
These colloborations has given me the ability to accomplish many tasks, as well as raise funds for the students to go to United States Patent and Trademark. The community partnership has been imperative and meaningful for the success of the program.
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| How Collaboration Contributes to Project Success |
The Entrepreneurship Project students are assessed on how well he/she demonstrate, understands the course material through a rubric measuring system. In addition, post- test will be given on the rudiments of entrepreneurship and the following:
-Rubric
- Business Terms Test
- Lessons Learned Evaluation
- Entrepreneurship Trivia Game
- Demonstration of Activity (utilizing a rubric) |
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| Team Members |
| Name | Organization | Position | Email |
| Mary Waker | Wayne State University | Technology director | m.waker@wayne.edu |
| Will Cook | Printing Company | CEO | wcscreenprintingco@yahoo.com |
| James Hearn | Garvey Academy | Principal | james.hearn@detroitk12.org |
| William Towney | T-Visual (Photograph) | CEO | williamt84@aol.com |
| Deshaun Johnson | Black E-Commerce | CEO | |
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| Supplemental Materials |
EP Rubric Assessment 2009-2010.doc
Chad Story and Assignment rev.pdf
EP Course Syllabus Revised Version oct 2009.doc |