Rider University Gives Youths Chance to Explore Entrepreneurship
Be prepared to open up your wallets and get ready to be wowed by the talents of young entrepreneurs.
Students from Trenton’s public schools will be selling products at the Market Fair at Patton J. Hill Elementary School on Saturday, April 5. The event is a culmination of an entrepreneurship course at Rider University called Minding Our Business. A record 60 student mentors are participating in the program this year, including 52 from Rider.
Thirteen mentoring sessions are held once a week after school at four Trenton schools from January 31 to April 16. The younger students are organized into teams and each team is facilitated by three Rider mentors. The mentors act as guides as the younger students learn a variety of business skills, from marketing and communications to sales techniques and product inventory.
The Market Fair gives the young entrepreneurs an opportunity to put their business plan to the test in a festival-like atmosphere. Prices will range from 25 cents for a piece of candy to $10 or $12 for a T-shirt. Other products include carnival games, baked goods and smoothies.
“You will see the excitement and the dedication of 200 students and 60 mentors running their businesses,” said Dr. Sigfredo Hernandez, who founded the program in 1997.
In addition to the students’ goods and products, there will be live entertainment, special guests, including Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, refreshments and other activities. The market will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the elementary school, located at 1010 East State St. in Trenton.
Minding Our Business is a community outreach program of the College of Business Administration. Since its inception, the program has mentored more than 1,300 Trenton youths on how to start and run their businesses. Rider mentors obtain academic credit through the course CBA-220 Minding Our Business. There are two sections of the course. One is taught by Jamiyl L. Mosley, area director of Residence Life, and the other is taught by Hernandez.
Submitted on April 14, 2008
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