Applications due May 17

MASON CITY, IOWA – The North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center will hold the Youth Entrepreneurial Academy (YEA) on Monday June 3 – Friday June 7, 2024, with pitch presentations on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Thanks to generous financial support from the John K. and Luise V. Hanson Foundation, the Youth Entrepreneurial Academy is a free event for participating students. YEA is now entering its 27^th year of providing a unique entrepreneurial education to high school students. The academy has been designed to help students learn real-world entrepreneurial skills that are crucial for success in any career.

At YEA, students have the opportunity to learn about starting your own business and begin creating wealth for yourself by doing something you are passionate about. Students will learn how their unique interests, skills, and strengths can be developed and applied to create their own personal path to success. Students will also have the opportunity to network with local entrepreneurs, tour local businesses, develop leadership skills, meet like-minded peers, create solutions to real-world problems, and gain fundamental entrepreneurship skills like finance, marketing, and communication.

Every participant will receive an automatic $500 Youth Entrepreneurial Academy Scholarship to NIACC for completing the academy. The students will receive gas cards to pay for the week’s travel from their homes or can stay in student housing on the NIACC campus.

On Tuesday, June 11, students will have the opportunity compete in a pitch competition for $500 in seed money in front of a panel of judges. They present pitches and slide decks and will be judged on their businesses that they developed during the week.

Applications are due May 17, 2024. Applications can be found online at www.pappajohncenter.com/yea/ or by contacting the Pappajohn Center directly at pappajohn@niacc.edu. For more information, please contact Kelley O’Rourke at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at 641-422-4234 or kelley.orourke@niacc.edu.

The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is the expert in rural business innovation and success. In partnership with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center, together we provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. We counsel both new and existing local businesses, from Main Street to industry leaders. We’re growing Iowa’s entrepreneurial culture through grade school initiatives, college and community programs, and business training and development. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn Center at 641-422-4111 or pappajohn@niacc.edu.

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The mission of North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) is to enrich lives through comprehensive educational opportunities, a commitment to learner success, community engagement, and leadership. Founded in 1918, NIACC is a nationally-recognized, two-year college located in central North Iowa. With approximately 3,000 career and transfer students, the College has been recognized by the Aspen Institute as a leading community college in the nation. Become a NIACC Trojan today at https://www.niacc.edu/apply-mkt/.