YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR INSTITUTE
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Mission Statement
Youth Entrepreneur Institute (YEI) is dedicated to empowering at-risk youth in the East of the River communities in Washington DC through entrepreneurship, STEM, and arts education. Our mission is to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities they need to create positive futures for themselves and their communities. By fostering a sense of agency and creativity, YEI helps youth envision and work towards productive and fulfilling lives, steering them away from pathways that lead to violence and crime. Our goal is to inspire youth to acquire the education, entrepreneurial skills, and self-confidence required to "put poverty out of business!" Through our hands-on learning approach, students conceive, launch, and manage real business ventures in practical, impactful ways. This unique blend of entrepreneurship and STE(A)M education ensures they acquire the critical skills and confidence to make significant contributions to their communities. Envisioning a world where young people are the architects of their own economic equity and success, we provide comprehensive training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and employability skills preparing them for the creative economy.
About This Cause
Youth Entrepreneur Institute offers four entrepreneurship programs for teens. Each builds entrepreneurial knowledge and artistic abilities, making it possible to transform youth into creative entrepreneurs driven to be apart of DC's creative economy. In our Artpreneur program, teens develop, launch, and run their own artistic businesses. Youth learn graphic arts, apparel making, commercial production, design and business acumen. They learn technical skills related to artistic career clusters, how to use professional graphic software and how to operate commercial machinery ( heat press, vinyl cutters/plotters, large format printers, screenpress, embroidery,sublimation ,DTG machines) to design and create their own artistic products. In our Summer Internship program teens test business ideas to earn revenue. They also learn and practice business development, finance, and marketing concepts. During the culminating $1,000 Pitch Competition, each aspiring entrepreneur pitches their business to a panel of experts and sells their products and services to real customers. Our SmartHustle year round internship , teen entrepreneurs-in-residence spend a minimum of 125 hours and a maximum of up to 230 hours directly managing their business, focusing on website, social media, and finances. They gain hands-on experience working with local entrepreneurs and their peers. Participants also complete 25 hours of in-class coursework focused on professional development. STE(a)M Studio's is an afterschool product design program, teens learn and apply the Design Thinking process to YEI Social Enterprises and Community Projects. Studios Classes includes: BizBeauty ( cosmetic & candle making activities) BizTee (pro-bono apparel making, for deserving local nonprofits and schools) BizMake ( laser cutting, 3d printing, website development and prototyping.) BizGrow ( nutrition, community garden, agriculture and food science) BizKits ( help design and create “businesses-in-boxes,” and “STEM kits” designed for children ages 9-13.) The goal of the studio classes and projects are to introduce youth to technical STE(a)M skills through the design thinking process while helping them build tools for advocacy and civic engagement in their communities. Throughout the year, we host a variety of engaging activities, including Pop-up Shops & Student Marketplace, Spring and Summer Pitch Competitions, and our annual Teen Business Conference, KidBizCON. Our elementary summer program Smart Hustle Jr. Camps kids aged 9-13 years olf design custom t-shirts or create beauty products, learning money management and business fundamentals. Small groups ensure personalized guidance through every step, from idea to income, using our specially designed STE(A)M business kits. The program ends with a pop-up shop for campers to sell their creations. Through these programs, YEI aims to address the challenges of at-risk youth, transforming the socio-economic conditions of their communities by breaking the cycle of violence and poverty and fostering a future of opportunity and success.