CEOs of Tomorrow plans to deliver engaging and hands-on social entrepreneurship education workshops and courses for young children and teenagers this summer.
“Like many other organizations, we had to make the decision whether or not to do face-to-face programming or virtual,” Dr. Roxie Hentz, CEO and founder of CEOs of Tomorrow, tells Madison365.
In August, the program will kick off the 2020 Busine$$ of Giving Summer Camp which will allow kids to learn how to grow their own business from home. Each participant will receive supplies to make and sell their own products.
“Our teens in our innovation studio program actually came up with ideas for these businesses,” Hentz said.
This year, 8-to-14-year-old entrepreneurs will sell imPACTful Creations: Homemade Lotion and/or imPACTful Creations: Homemade Gummy Bears. These products will be homemade. CEOs of Tomorrow will give participants enough resources to sell 20 jars of lotion and 25 packages of gummy bears.
“The campers will get a business in the box, and in the box they will have everything they need to start the business,” Hentz said.
Their box of supplies will include a packet of engaging activities to learn about issues of homelessness, animal abuse, or waste management so that a portion of their profits can support the cause. They will also receive a mask, hand sanitizer, and steps on how to keep themselves and customers safe.
“Including IMPACTFUL activities is to help our kids learn about social issues. Then, we teach our kids to donate a portion of the proceeds to their cause,” Hentz said.
She explained that while staff will not have the opportunity to connect with the kids in person, the program will offer virtual coaching to help guide and support students. Hentz also said CEOs of Tomorrow staff still would like to continue to cultivate meaningful relationships with the children who sign up.
“Those kids know they can be themselves with us. They feel safe with us. We didn’t want to lose that because we were going virtual,” she said.
The high school students will also have virtual activities to participate in as well. Rather than the program’s typical Global Excursion Program abroad, CEOs of Tomorrows’ “These Teens Mean Busine$$ Academy,” an entrepreneurship business seminar, will allow teens to connect virtually with high schoolers at the Middle East International School in Doha, Qatar. Teenagers, in Madison and abroad, will learn business terminology, concepts, and current business practices for social good together.
Hentz said this academy will also develop a basic understanding of business principles including management, business finance, marketing and other foundational business concepts transferable to other subjects. However, CEOs of Tomorrow is more than just an entrepreneurial program for young people.
“We don’t care if they become entrepreneurs or go into business. That’s not the point because we know that they’re going to do well with entrepreneurial skills in any profession they choose,” Hentz said.
She said the outcome pays huge dividends when program staff sees young people accomplishing things that many adults have dreamed of doing. Within the last three years, CEOs of Tomorrow participants have launched 68 businesses, donated to 26 organizations, and addressed 33 social issues while earning $11,018 in business profits during their launch phases.
“We have authentic, real, transparent conversations that they actually lead around these social issues,” Hentz said.
While their teen academy has filled up, registration for their Busine$$ of Giving Summer Camp is still open. For information about how to register for one of their programs, visit https://ceosoftomorrow.com/.