Entrepreneur program takes flight
March 6, 2020
Imagine creating a prototype to solve some of the biggest issues in the world, like poverty.
Mid-Pacific’s new class, Entrepreneur Studies in a Global Society, will combine a double block humanities course with entrepreneurial studies to prepare students for real world problems.
So, students who registered will have two periods of the humanities course plus one period of entrepreneurship. At least 20 students have registered for the course so far.
Entrepreneur studies teacher, Peter Rowan, said he will focus his students on creating businesses that will have an impact on the world.
“The bigger the problem, the bigger the business opportunity,” said Rowan.
Rowan will teach the entrepreneur class, but teachers for the humanities class have not been determined.
10th grader, Jordan Lampitelli, has enrolled in the program. The idea of group work and communication interested Lampitelli, he said.
“Personally I enjoy relating those specific topics, social studies, you’re learning about what happening in the past and it’s hard for me to focus on that because I want to learn what’s going on right now so covering that into an entrepreneurship class is really smart and I think I’ll learn a lot better through this program,” said Lampitelli.
Partnering with the global studies course will allow students to produce innovative solutions on a larger scale, Rowan said.
In entrepreneur studies last year, students were coming up with solutions to small problems. For example, the way an app works. But next year, students will solve bigger problems.
“Rather than just thinking about small opportunities to create some new gadget, we’re thinking about solving really big problems and that’s probably the best way to be an entrepreneur,” said Rowan.
The new course is set up to teach students skills they will need in the future, said Assistant Principal Christel McGuigan.
“There’s a global focus to the content and to the learning. How might students approach solving with an entrepreneurial mindset, solving big global problems,” said McGuigan.
Unlike the standard curriculum, students will connect what they learn in the three classes to the same project.
“The three bundles will be working together to build on the content and the skill sets and the projects from all those different perspectives,” said McGuigan.
Some of the courses will be team taught. This means there will be two teachers in the same classroom at the same time for the classes.
The course will also allow students to connect with the community through its collaborative projects.
“The program lends itself to the kind of teaching where students are in the driver’s seat, they’re working collaboratively in teams,” said McGuigan.
The program has been in the making for 2 years. It’s currently a pilot, but administration plans to expand it into the 12th grade, according to High School Principal Paul Passamonte.
“I’m an entrepreneur, and I love helping other folks become entrepreneurs so this is kind of the beginning of that journey for a lot of these students,” said Rowan.
