NFIB

Visa pledges grant to support NFIB YEF initiatives

NFIB is celebrating the first annual National Entrepreneurship Week USA (Feb. 24 – March 3) with the announcement of a renewed partnership with Visa USA to sponsor its Young Entrepreneur Foundation programs, and by recognizing the schools participating in the YEF Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom pilot program.

Visa USA has announced it will distribute a $300,000 grant to NFIB's Young Entrepreneur Foundation and become a copresenting sponsor of the program's innovative educational programs that aim to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in students nationwide.

Visa's grant will primarily support three programs:

1. The Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom program (EITC) -- a three-module curriculum designed to bring real life stories of entrepreneurship into the classroom. The program enables students to learn first-hand about the rewards, risks and opportunities of operating a small business.
2. Take Time to Teach (T3) Mentoring -- a program designed to familiarize teachers with the subjects of small business and entrepreneurship. NFIB-member entrepreneurs serve as mentors to educators and offer real-world advice and expertise on starting and running a business. This program supports the EITC curriculum.
3. Johnny Money: The Online Game -- the third integral component of the EITC programs enhances students' exploration of the risks and rewards of small-business ownership. The game will be used to reinforce lessons learned through the EITC curriculum by simulating the day-to-day responsibilities of a small business.

Additionally, Visa USA has agreed to again cobrand the top five scholarship awards to young entrepreneurs distributed though NFIB YEF's Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Awards Program. In June 2007, one $10,000 NFIB/Visa USA Young Entrepreneur Award, four $5,000 NFIB/Visa USA Young Entrepreneur Awards, and 35 $1,000 NFIB/Visa USA Young Entrepreneur Awards will be announced. This is the fourth straight year Visa USA has been the primary corporate sponsor of the scholarship program.

NFIB's Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom pilot program enters schools
As NFIB celebrates Entrepreneurship Week USA, it also recognizes the high schools participating in the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation's Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom pilot program. The curriculum provides educators with free resources to teach students entrepreneurship skills and show students how to turn their dreams or hobbies into a successful business. To date, 27 schools plan to use the curriculum during the 2007 spring semester, and 20 schools participated in the fall 2006 semester.

"Encouraging young students to imagine themselves as entrepreneurs is an incredible thing," Hank Kopcial, executive director of NFIB's YEF said. "Once students realize that owning their own business or creating a new and innovative product is possible, the sky is the limit on what they can accomplish."

The YEF, in conjunction with George Washington University, created the Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum to raise awareness among the nation's youth of the critical role that private enterprise and entrepreneurship play in strengthening America's economy. Visa USA is a co-presenting sponsor of the EITC curriculum.

The curriculum is designed as a three-week supplemental course teaching entrepreneurial skills. Educators may download the free cross-curricular supplement for use in their classrooms from the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Web site at NFIB.com/EITC.