IGNITE Student Resources

Energizing Young Entrepreneurs in Rural Communities

This publication brings together significant work on youth entrepreneurship completed by the staff of the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the staff of HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC), a partnership between the Nebraska Community Foundation, the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, the Center for Rural Affairs and the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. Any time we conduct a workshop or training, or visit with community practitioners, interest in youth entrepreneurship is always high. We have gained some valuable ideas from youth and their communities across rural America, and thought it was time to share those lessons along with some tools and strategies for engaging young people. We have done this by creating one online publication that can be easily accessed by community practitioners and policymakers alike. In this guide, we will particularly focus on the HTC model. You will also find some snapshots and stories of young entrepreneurs and the communities that support them so you can experience the passion and creativity that we see in rural places all across the country. We hope you are inspired to invite a young person in your community to lunch and really listen to his or her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur!

Categories: Resources

Resources By Young Entrepreneurs, For Young Entrepreneurs!

Looking for some real-life young entrepreneurs to motivate and inspire Michigan youth? Check out a few of these resources!

My Start Up Life – Ben Casnocha
0-7879-9613-0 $24.95
For a review copy, visit www.josseybass.com
For more information, visit www.mystartuplife.com
Ben Casnocha started his first company at age 12. By the time he was 16, he was nominated for Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year” and was chairman of his second company, Comcate. While playing high school basketball and editing the school paper, Casnocha was also sneaking away to early morning flights for sales calls with customers. With the support and advice of some of Silicon Valley’s brightest minds, Casnocha crammed a lifetime of business experience into just a few years, all of which he shares in this unique book.

Jason Dorsey
www.jasondorsey.com
Jason R. Dorsey is a young person who believes in youth. He wrote the first edition of “Graduate to Your Perfect Job" at age 18. This book is now used along with its Integrated Teacher’s Curriculum in over 1,500 schools. Dorsey is one of the most highly sought-after youth and education speakers in America. Through his inspirational insightful programs, Jason directly helps over 100,000 people a year achieve their dreams.

Categories: Resources

Web Resources:

IGNITE Member Websites

Clinton County Economic Alliance
http://www.clintoncountyeconomicalliance.org/

Dewitt High School
http://dewittschools.net/

Generation E Institute
http://www.genei.org/

Junior Achievement of Mid-Michigan
http://www.jamidmichigan.org/

Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes
http://westmichigan.ja.org/

Lansing Community College
http://www.lcc.edu/home/business_community/

Michigan 4-H Youth Development
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/career.html

Michigan Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_2629---,00.html

Michigan FFA Association
http://www.michiganffa.com/

Michigan Virtual University
http://www.mivu.org/

Middle Michigan Development Corporation
http://www.mmdc.org/

Prima Civitas Foundation
http://primacivitas.org/

Saginaw County Business and Education Partnership
http://www.saginawchamber.org/Welcome.aspx

Thumb Area Michigan Works
http://www.thumbworks.org/

Categories: Resources

IGNITE Youth Business Plan Competition

IGNITE hosted a statewide youth business plan competition. Attached are the files used for this competition. If you're planning a similar event, please feel free to adapt these materials for your needs.

Categories: Resources