SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Bridging Innovation : Building Better Opportunities for West Virginia Students
State education leaders have joined together to inspire learning that nurtures the spirit , ignites the mind and fulfills the promise of a better future . With the rise of youth entrepreneurship in West Virginia and throughout the nation , Mountain State students are poised to become the next generation of innovators and industry leaders .
Through a partnership with the West Virginia Department of Education ( WVDE ), The EdVenture Group , Marshall University and West Virginia University ( WVU ), students continue to have opportunities to acquire not only knowledge but also the tools needed to work collaboratively and solve problems creatively . This is accomplished through the WVDE ’ s Entrepreneurship Pathway , which is housed within the career technical education business pathway . Designed in partnership with Marshall and WVU ’ s business schools and The EdVenture Group , the pathway features four courses designed to take students from ideation to launch . The framework focuses on the development of four areas : entrepreneurial mindsets , entrepreneurial tools and strategies , entrepreneurial experiences and entrepreneurial venture development .
The efforts of this partnership will culminate in a series of events during the 2022 Bridging Innovation Week , which aims to infuse an entrepreneurial mindset within West Virginia residents . This event will bring together various competitions from across the state that promote and support entrepreneurship . The competitions range from supporting elementary students ’ pursuits to community members in chasing their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs .
Tara St . Clair , director of operations for the WVU Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and one of the organizers for the event , says collaboration has been a key component of building an entrepreneurial pipeline for the K-12 community .
“ We know innovative programs are born from strong partnerships , as demonstrated by this collaborative effort between the West Virginia Department of Education , The EdVenture Group , West Virginia University and Marshall University ,” she says . “ The synergistic efforts taking place in the state provide immersive experiences for today ’ s youth to become tomorrow ’ s small business owners . By building this pipeline , we are opening new pathways to prosperity for the state and , most importantly , for our students .”
Participants will have the chance to learn and apply entrepreneurial best practices like design thinking , business modeling and lean startup to identify problems , create solutions and develop business models by testing assumptions on real customers . Those in attendance will have the opportunity to pitch to real investors and receive consulting services regarding the viability of their proposed startup company . At the end of the week , all participants will have built a strong support network of entrepreneurs .
Registration for Bridging Innovation Week is available at wvbusinesslink . com . West Virginia business leaders will have the opportunity to serve as mentors , investors or thought leaders for this event . Interested businesses are encouraged to get involved by contacting St . Clair at tara . stclair @ mail . wvu . edu .
iCenter
Center for Entrepreneurship
and Business Innovation part of the Lewis College of Business
Register today at wvbusinesslink . com .