More than 45 students from 24 area high schools will work alongside Grand Valley faculty members and students to brainstorm ways to create economic growth opportunities that can lead to a reduction in poverty rates and increase access to services.
The students are part of the Teen Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TESA), a week-long camp taking place June 24-28 at the L. William Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
TESA is a hands-on, interactive camp where students immerse themselves in the entrepreneurial experience by learning about problem solving, opportunity recognition, creativity, teamwork and conceptualizing an idea for a business.
Grand Valley faculty, staff members, current college students and local entrepreneurs will provide training in business idea development and marketing processes.
Students will be presented with a challenge or theme and then will work on a new product concept or service. Students will present their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win prizes totaling $5,000.
The pitch competition will take place June 28, from 3-5 p.m. in the L. William Seidman Center.
The camp is hosted by Grand Valley's DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Seidman College of Business, and is sponsored by Amway.
Shorouq Almallah, director of CEI, said entrepreneurs, innovators and problem solvers are in high demand.
"The TESA camp not only inspires students to learn about starting a business, it helps them foster and develop the entrepreneurial mindset and skill set," said Almallah. "The camp also facilitates experiential learning opportunities in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship."
For more information about TESA and the 2019 camp schedule, visit www.gvsu.edu/cei or contact Shorouq Almallah at (616) 331-7256.
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