Helping Students Flourish and Succeed
Whether entrepreneurs are born or are molded by their personal circumstances, we know from research as well as long experience in the field that early exposure to hands-on learning and the nurturing of knowledgeable teachers and mentors helps them flourish and succeed.
That's why we support a rich and ever-expanding array of interconnected experiential opportunities for K-12 students and their teachers related to entrepreneurship and the free market.
All of these programs are designed to build confidence in kids, stimulate their problem-solving abilities, and deepen their school experiences. They also create a rich ecosystem of support and knowledge that helps young people progress along their educational journey.
Preparing Young People for Success
We prepare young people for entrepreneurial success by:
- Equipping their teachers with the quality training, programming, and peer networks that lead to academic excellence
- Providing them with opportunities to gain real-world entrepreneurial skills
- Developing pathways to further develop entrepreneurial competencies at each stage of their life
Our work is characterized by a determination to foster strong partnerships and a desire to continually introduce new and innovative ideas and approaches into the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Foundation Values - Youth Entrepreneurship Programming
Burton D. Morgan Foundation values youth entrepreneurship programs that…
- Build the entrepreneurial mindset
Impactful programs allow students to recognize opportunities, innovate solutions, collaborate with others, and adapt to new information by actively engaging with their environments. - Empower individual agency
Creative programs celebrate student-directed learning, informed risk-taking, and failure as ways to cultivate initiative, resiliency, and perseverance. - Exhibit interdisciplinary components
Forward-thinking leaders break down barriers and encourage the integration of entrepreneurship into core areas of study, breeding innovation, and sparking connections. - Collaborate with ecosystem partners
Dynamic organizations facilitate opportunities for students to connect with other entrepreneurial ecosystem resources and promote pathways to continue building their entrepreneurial skills. - Leverage resources
Sustainable integration of entrepreneurship is best accomplished by building upon strengths and developing existing resources. - Employ entrepreneurial role models
Involved parents, teachers, and entrepreneurs ignite and shape the entrepreneurial mindset of youth. - Engage underserved populations
Robust inclusion of diverse ideas, voices, and perspectives enriches students' entrepreneurial experiences and inspires innovation. - Use evaluation to fuel growth
Continuous learning requires more than just basic data - progressive programs employ assessment tools that offer iterative feedback, produce bodies of evidence, inform practices, and galvanize students to advance their skills. - Pivot to meet changing needs
Responsive programs adapt to shifting landscapes to take full advantage of new opportunities and best practices in student learning. - Share lessons learned
Dedicated ecosystem partners prioritize the regular exchange of lessons learned through peer-to-peer sharing. - Demonstrate fiscal responsibility