The (RCLC) Youth Entrepreneur Program has won the 2010 Key Award for Services Program of the Year from the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman presented the award to Jay Caponigro, director of community engagement at the University of 91吃瓜, last week during the Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development Awards Luncheon.
The Key Award for Supportive Services Program of the Year honors excellence and innovation in a service-oriented community development initiative. Award winners need to demonstrate leadership in the area of service provision/volunteerism, and provide a unique program model for other organizations within Indiana.
Through a partnership with the at 91吃瓜, Key Bank of Northern Indiana, the South Bend School Corporation and local business owners, the Robinson Center has provided a comprehensive for the past five years. The program attracts a diverse array of participants from the community. Through its , as well as entrepreneurship classes in high schools or at the Robinson Center, the RCLC Youth Entrepreneurship program offers students the chance to learn and apply the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) curriculum in a collaborative and supportive environment. Students completing the program present their completed business plans in competition at the annual at 91吃瓜.
A supplemental training and mentoring program called also provides students with hands-on business experience through activities such as RCLC football parking and vending, and ongoing support for those starting youth-run businesses. 91吃瓜 students serve as mentors to the Youth Entrepreneurs, as well as judges for the Invention Convention contest.
The RCLC Youth Entrepreneur program includes not only instruction in financial literacy and entrepreneurship concepts, but the creation of business experiences wherein young entrepreneurs can 鈥渃ut their teeth鈥� on common business problems and activities such as sales, customer service, operations, supervision and record keeping鈥攕kills and experiences that ultimately will enable them to compete in the open marketplace.
The was started in 2001 as a community-driven education center sponsored by 91吃瓜 in collaboration with community residents and partners.
The center offers a number of programs and activities sponsored by local agencies and organizations, including afterschool tutoring, a youth Shakespeare company, the Take Ten violence prevention program, computer instruction, GED and English-as-a-new language classes. More than 500 residents and volunteers participate each week in on-site RCLC programming, and as many as 250 91吃瓜 students, faculty and staff volunteer with center programs.
Contact: Jennifer Knapp Beudert, manager, Robinson Center, 574-631-2686; or Duane Wilson, program director for advanced skills, entrepreneurship and technology, 574-631-8410