interested in starting your own business? Youth in the 4-H Entrepreneurship project have big ideas for self-driven careers where they get to be their own bosses! From finances to business savvy and marketing skills, youth in this project area explore all areas they will need to know in order to be successful small business owners.
Objectives
Youth will:
- Learn how to identify their skill sets and talk about transferable skills from other projects or fields
- Create a business plan to communicate their ideas to others and guide their creativity
- Learn how to organize a business and to manage business finances
- Understand networking and how it can help with creating partnerships to help their small business thrive
- Practice marketing skills that will enable them to sell their ideas and their products in their communities
4-H Entrepreneurship Curriculum
Available from the Extension office or online.
Build Your Future Youth Notebook
From exploring potential jobs to starting their own business, the “Build Your Future” curriculum helps teens develop skills and knowledge in career exploration. Participants experience a variety of learning methods including developing a business plan, competing in a quiz bowl, creating a portfolio, analyzing case studies, and discussing questions that reflect on their experiences.
Build Your Future Facilitator Guide
Be the E – Entrepreneurship Curriculum Youth Activity Guide Digital Download
Youth discover the world of entrepreneurship with this multi-level guide. Activities assist youth in learning what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Youth practice the skills needed to function successfully as an entrepreneur and explore types of businesses, products and pricing, marketing, partnership, agreements and contracts. Youth create a business plan and start their own business.
Be the E – Entrepreneurship Helper’s Guide
Includes extensive background on life skills, teaching using Experiential Learning Model, background on entrepreneurship & answers to questions in youth manual. Experiential activities correlated to national educational standards.
Be the E – Entrepreneurship Helper’s Guide Digital Download
EntrepreneurShip Investigation Level 1: Discover the E-Scene
Discovery is what ESI: Unit 1 is all about! Youth will learn about entrepreneurship by investigating businesses in their communities. They will discover the traits of an entrepreneur and take a skills test to see if they have these entrepreneurial traits. Other activities include: investigating entrepreneurs in youths’ families, exploring potential business ideas, and reading stories of other entrepreneurs.
EntrepreneurShip Investigation Level 2: The Case of ME
The entrepreneurship curriculum continues with ESI Unit 2: The Case of ME. Youth will explore the core values of their business and learn how to give back to the community. Time management skills, ethics and legal considerations, professionalism, and relationship building are all themes within Unit 2.
EntrepreneurShip Investigation Level 3: Your Business Inspection
Once the foundation is in place, ESI: Unit 3 continues youths’ entrepreneurial journeys with the “nuts and bolts” of starting a business. Youth create a Business Plan and plan a marketing strategy. Youth also utilize the internet to promote their product or service to reach a broader audience.
EntrepreneurShip Investigation: Leader’s Guide
This comprehensive guide accompanies ESI Units 1-3. It describes the activity, provides answers to questions, provides a list of supplies needed for each activity, shows the National and State Education Standards, and describes the success indicator for each lesson.
Washington 4-H Records, Forms, and Guides
For youth members
Coming soon!
For adult helpers and club leaders
Coming soon!
Helpful Resources
Activity Ideas
Find the Entrepreneur in You! Word Search – Michigan 4-H (PDF)
Washington Specific Reference Material
Yakima County 4-H Financial Literacy Project
Other Reference Material
From 4-H Programs
Starting the Entrepreneurial Journey – University of Minnesota Extension
In this curriculum, youth develop an entrepreneurial mindset, focused on using critical thinking skills to solve local and global issues.
Michigan State University Extension’s Adulting 101 programs help high school students demystify the obscure reality of being an “adult” through engaging educational sessions. Each session is packed full of important life skills and tools necessary to live independently. Topics include: money management, community engagement, conflict resolution, career and future education, home skills and more.
In addition to sessions, MSU Extension’s robust website provides additional information for participants to further explore Adulting 101 topic areas.
Workforce Readiness – National 4-H
It’s painfully clear that while talented kids are everywhere, opportunities to find fulfilling and productive careers are not. 4-H is committed to tackling this career opportunity gap by infusing career connections and skill building in areas like communication, critical thinking, and resilience into all our programs. We are also committed to expanding access to in-demand skills like computer science and engineering in underserved communities across the country.
Workforce and Career Development Resources – NAE4-HYDP
Workforce Development and Career Exploration Working Group Resources
Youth Business Guide to Success: Make the Most of Your 4-H Market Animal Project – Michigan 4-H
Most young people in 4-H market animal projects are focused on basic animal science, care and management. But market animal projects also have the potential to teach youth valuable life skills.
Through this curriculum, youth will gain knowledge about marketing and advertising their products. Participants will also explore and practice production, management and distribution skills. In addition, it provides a venue to explore what it takes to be successful in business and view the world of animal science and agribusiness as a viable career option.
From Higher Education Institutions
From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals
US Small Business Administration Learning Center
Course modules for planning and managing your small business.
Lemonade Day is a fun, experiential program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their very own business – a lemonade stand. Each year, in participating cities, youth have the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship. Lemonade Day programs exist in both Kittitas and Yakima Counties.
US Patent and Trademark Office for Kids
Includes learning opportunities, activities, and trivia on patents, trademarks, and inventions in the United States.
Crash Course Business Entrepreneurship
In 17 episodes, Anna Akana will teach you entrepreneurship skills to help you start and run a small business. This course is based on a college-level curriculum with a variety of reference texts, including the Strategyzer Business Model Canvas. By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Evaluate the quality of an idea and take steps to turn it into a small business
- Understand the legal basics of business entity formation, sales, costs, and other finances
- Develop a clear value proposition for your business and customer relationships
- Navigate other businesses, including both competition and key partners
- Define success for yourself as an entrepreneur, and recognize failure
- Kits, Projects, and Activities from National 4-H
Career Development and Exploration Curriculum Collection
Entrepreneurship Curriculum Collection
Leadership Curriculum Collection
Did you know that rural areas are experiencing shortages of qualified STEM workers who can provide vital services to often under-resourced areas? That’s why HughesNet and 4-H have teamed up to share activities and information about STEM careers across the country. Requires a free Clover account to access lesson plans.
Young Worker Health & Safety Course
This course is made for working teens, or those who are about to enter the workplace for the first time. These three activities will help you learn to navigate common emotional, social, and physical challenges so that you can be strong and safe in your role. Requires a free Clover account to access lesson plans.