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The North Iowa Area Community College Entrepreneur for a Day (E4D®) program is excited to announce the receipt of a $20,000 United Way Venture Grant which will support NIACC’s E4D® program from March 2010 to February 2011.  It is anticipated that 17 school districts and over 1,500 fifth grade students in North Iowa will participate in E4D® this year.

“United Way of North Central Iowa is working to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks for a better life:  education, income and health.  We are excited to partner with NIACC to improve the education of the students in our service area,” said Jennifer Kammeyer, Chief Professional Officer, United Way of North Central Iowa.

E4D® is a program dedicated to teaching fifth grade students the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship and how to start a business. During the two-session program, students learn the distinct differences between becoming an entrepreneur and being an employee.  Trained facilitators visit the classroom to explain the business, financial, marketing and work-place concepts used by an entrepreneur.  The second session brings the students for a class at the NIACC campus where they choose a product, borrow money from a bank, buy resources they need, make the product, then sell the product and determine if they made a profit. 

“We are thrilled to welcome United Way of North Central Iowa as a partner for the E4D® program and plan to use the grant funds for expanding the program to other schools, facilitator training and fees, workshops and operating expenses,” Kelley Crane, program coordinator said.

The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is located on the North Iowa area Community College campus in Mason City and provides college level courses and degree programs in entrepreneurship, as well as comprehensive consulting services for business start-ups, existing industries and owner transitions in the North Iowa region.  Space is available for start-up businesses in the North Iowa Business Incubator.

For more information regarding the Entrepreneur for a Day program and how your school districts or organizations can utilize this exciting and proven curriculum, please contact Kelley Crane at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at 641-422-4234 or cranekel@niacc.edu.

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