Startup Student brings curriculum to life
Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development
K-8 Startup Student Curriculum and Skill Building
High School Startup Student Curriculum
CTE Startup Student
Standards and Depth of Knowledge
All curriculum is designed to meet State Standards, including but not limited to, Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy, Common Core State Standards for Math, and the twelve 21st Century Learning Skills. In addition, the students are given lessons and objectives that align with Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels 3 and 4.
Our program is applied in a real setting format and the skill development is applicable for education, college and career readiness to increase student rigor and promote classroom discourse aligned to higher levels of cognitive demand. We incorporate the growth mindset philosophy of Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University into our curriculum at every lesson.
Lesson plans are designed to cultivate project-based learning with concept attainment and inquiry-based strategies focusing on authentic experiences. All of the curriculum is designed to meet state standards and 21st century learning skills. Being multi-modal it is applicable in a semester and quarter format with cross-curriculum integration. Also, it aligns with dual enrollment programming and strategic accreditation initiatives.
The Pathways
Entrepreneurial skills involve mindset development, perspective growth, professional skills, leadership approach, and communication strategies that are beneficial in all collegiate, workforce, and business endeavors. The career path opportunities multiply with these fundamental skills. Students learn not only how to follow their passion but how to be leaders in their industries. Students who learn these skills and apply them to their subject or to a business idea have a much greater opportunity for success.
Startup Student Club (grades 4-8)
Building schema to prepare students for academic rigor
The Startup Student program aims to give 4th Grade through 6th Grade students an appreciation of what it takes to become an entrepreneur and adopt a growth mindset. It focuses on the skills of an entrepreneur, whether they start a business or go after a job later in life. Our programs focus on different products as the students’ progress through the years of involvement. Our cohorts learn entrepreneurship through common business products, then will be open to create any business they choose.
The primary focus for the first year participants is growth mindset, unmet need, customer discovery, and product/market fit. Second– and third– year participants hone these skills adding on market sizing, business modeling, marketing strategies, and understanding ecosystems. From there students are encouraged to create their own business from their own ideas.
Entrepreneurship Academy (High School)
The Startup Student Entrepreneurship Academy gives high school students the tools to become an entrepreneur and think entrepreneurially. The program focuses on providing the skills and developing a growth mindset, whether they start a business, apply for college, or go after a job. Our programs focus on different products as the student’s progress through the years of involvement. Our cohorts will learn entrepreneurship through common business products/services, and then create and execute their own business.
The primary focus for first year participants is growth mindset and a thorough introduction of all the steps to validate a business idea. In the following years, students will be challenged to develop a collaborative team and work together to take their own idea through the business validation process. By the end of the program they will have a validated business they can choose to take to market, or apply the skills developed to the professional workplace, or their collegiate career in any vertical they feel the will be able to best serve their purpose.
Career Technical Education
The CTE Academy begins with an intensive Startup Bootcamp designed to inspire, draw connections, and understand the entrepreneurial mindset. Thereafter, students dive into a facilitated hands-on approach to ideation and validation within their own trade expertise. In the following years, students will be challenged to create a customer focused execution strategy with foundational purpose, validation, and impact. By the end of the program they will have a business they can choose to take to market and/or apply the skills to any project in the professional workplace or their collegiate career.
Parent Bootcamp
We are a community-oriented organization and we encourage parent involvement. We offer a Free Parent Bootcamp where parents can learn the curriculum and support their students and expand their own opportunities within the community.
“Addressing systemic barriers faced by underrepresented populations in entrepreneurial and educational ecosystems requires a complex multi-tiered approach. – Kauffman Foundation, Annual Learning Report, 2019
