INCubatoredu

INCubatoredu for High School blends entrepreneurship lessons with an experiential approach to traditional business subjects.

This program offers students an authentic entrepreneurship experience. In the year long course, students have the opportunity to create and fully develop their own product or service. Real entrepreneurs and business experts serve as volunteer coaches and mentors guiding student teams through the processes of developing hypotheses about a business concept, testing those hypotheses, adapting, and continually learning and improving. This cycle of experimentation is combined with foundational business content such as marketing and finance.

INCubatoredu.org

In today’s Northwest Herald, reporter Brittany Keeperman highlighted a major addition coming to Harvard High School‘s curriculum for the 2018-2019 school year:

Harvard High School students will have a new opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and develop business plans and connections through a new program at the school. Harvard’s Chamber of Commerce Director Crystal Musgrove will help lead the INCubatoredu program, along with teacher Erin Harris. Musgrove will help cultivate business connections for the program.

“I am excited to be the community champion for the incubator,” Musgrove said. “I look forward to representing the Chamber of Commerce as well as the business leaders in promoting a great program for our kids.”

The incubator program will offer students an entrepreneurship experience and allow them to develop business plans under the guidance of local business leaders. Curriculum will teach students the lean startup business model and help develop soft skills. The goal is to create a product that can be invested in and produced. Student teams will create prototypes and pitch their ideas to investors as part of the course.

“The students will be learning by doing,” Harris said. “I am excited to teach INCubatoredu at the high school.”

The program will launch in the upcoming school year. Private donors have helped fund the creation of an incubator classroom and new equipment. The Harvard Community Education Foundation recently awarded the district a $30,000 grant to help pay for the program. 

The district is thrilled to be partnering with Crystal Musgrove and the Harvard Chamber of Commerce.

To learn how you can get involved with helping the kids who are part of the INCubatoredu program at Harvard High School, look over the INCubatoredu information sheet.  If you feel you can help, call either Crystal Musgrove at the Chamber office 815-943-4404, or Erin Harris at Harvard High School 815-943-6461, ext. 2279.