Applications are being accepted through Monday, Oct. 7, for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) at MVCC, which is embarking on its 12^th year of transforming middle and high school students into real entrepreneurs. Since the program’s inception, more than 160 students have taken the class and gained exceptional experience in starting their own business, some of which are still running or have evolved. Applications are available online at mvcc.edu/yea.

Classes will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, Oct. 23, 2024, through April 30, 2025, and will be held in person throughout the year at ICAN’s Family Resource Center at 106 Memorial Parkway in Utica. Classes will not be held during school breaks.

The class is open to students in grades 6-12 and class size is limited. Students from all local school districts are encouraged to apply. Due to generous donations from business and individuals in our community, the year-long YEA! experience is provided to students at no cost (value is $995). Students do not need to have a business idea coming into the class.

“The MVCC Foundation is excited to continue supporting this incredible initiative that empowers students to become real-world entrepreneurs. Providing middle and high school students with hands-on exposure to the challenges and successes of running their own businesses is not only valuable but also immensely rewarding,” said Deanna Ferro-Aurience, executive director of Institutional Advancement and the MVCC Foundation.

During the class, students:

• Learn how to create a business they are passionate about
• Complete market research and develop a business plan
• Work one-on-one with business mentors and graphic designers
• Attend field trips to learn from local entrepreneurs
• Pitch their ideas at a “Shark Tank”-style investor panel presentation to win real start-up funds
• Take part in a trade show
• Graduate from the program with lifelong leadership and business skills

Program Manager Michelle Truett said, “This is the class every business owner wishes they could have taken in their youth! It inspires and motivates, connects students with like-minded peers, teaches perseverance, fosters creativity, and offers so much more. Young students will have the unique opportunity to say they started a business while still in middle or high school, setting the foundation for a lifetime of entrepreneurial success.”

Each year, one student from the program is chosen to represent the MVCC YEA! class at the Saunders Scholars National Competition at Rochester Institute of Technology and will compete against students from all over the country, and others are awarded prizes ranging from MVCC Scholarships and a one-year membership to the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce to local media segments and an appearance on the Chamber’s podcast.

Program sponsors include M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund, First Source Federal Credit Union, and Berkshire Bank. Partners include WUTR Eyewitness News, Sentinel Media Company, ICAN, thINCubator, and the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, parents and educators can contact Program Manager Michelle Truett at 315-534-0067 or youngentrepreneursMVCC@gmail.com, or visit mvcc.edu/yea.

About YEA!

Started at the University of Rochester in 2004 with support from the Kauffman Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is now in 168 communities across America with classes also in Shanghai and India. More than 7,700 students nationwide have launched over 5,100 businesses, non-profits, and social movements. This will be the 12th year that Mohawk Valley Community College has hosted it in the greater Utica area.

About Mohawk Valley Community College

 Mohawk Valley Community College, established in 1946, is New York State’s first community college with a mission to provide accessible, high-quality educational opportunities for everyone. As the community’s college, MVCC is committed to student success through partnerships, transfer and career pathways, and personal enrichment. With campuses in Utica and Rome, MVCC is the region’s primary provider of college education, offering 90 program options for its enrollment of 6,000 full- and part-time students. MVCC also serves an additional 6,000 people through its corporate and community education programs, and its campuses welcome more than 50,000 people annually for community events. To learn more about MVCC and its programs, visit www.mvcc.edu.