In February, Western Nebraska Community College launched two EntrepreneurShip Investigation (ESI) after school clubs for kids. Over the past four months, 22 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders have learned valuable lessons about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. One club meets in the John N. Harms Advanced Technology Center in Scottsbluff and the other club is held at the Mitchell Elementary School.
On Monday, May 13, the Mitchell Elementary School will host the ESI Expo from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. in the Mitchell Elementary School Gymnasium and the public is welcome to attend. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman is expected to attend the Expo in Mitchell and show his support for these young, future entrepreneurs. One of the Mitchell students, Talera Kinsey, urges the community to come out and support their club. "Our Expo is where we will showcase our businesses and sell what we made. The public is welcome and there is no admission charge."
The following week, on Monday, May 20 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., the Scottsbluff club will hold their ESI Expo at the Harms Advanced Technology Center. The public is also invited to this free event. This club has been led by three students from the Scottsbluff DECA Club. "Jon, Sarah, and Shaylee have done a great job of leading the kids through the activities, acting as role models, and helping the students focus on developing and marketing their products," stated Judy Amoo, WNCC Dean for Economic and Community Development. "The Expo will be a culmination of this experience for these enterprising kids who have committed a lot of time and energy to their business idea."
On their first day, these future entrepreneurs took the Gallup StrengthsFinder survey, which helped them identify their natural talents. They later met local entrepreneurs who shared their inspiring stories of what it was like when they started their own businesses. The kids learned about the importance of their reputation and of giving back to others. They learned about target markets, calculating selling prices, and cash flow. They created business cards, logos, fliers, and even radio commercials inviting the public to attend the Expos. This club has been a collaboration between kids, parents, teachers, business owners, the elementary and high schools, WNCC and UNL.