YouthBiz Celebrated National Entrepreneurship Week with Serious Fun and Workshops

Young Americans Center celebrated National Entrepreneurship Week (February 18-25) by connecting young entrepreneurs to fun activities around town, hosting an entrepreneurial scavenger hunt for fun prizes, and presenting a Business Law workshop!  All interested entrepreneurs (you do not need to be enrolled in our programs) should check out YouthBiz Classes and Workshops and social media pages (Facebook at Young Americans Center for Financial Education and Twitter at @yacenter) to see updated details each day and to register for the Business Law workshop, a free resource for all the legal matters surrounding your business such as patents, business licenses and more!

Teacher Says Students Can’t Stop Talking About International Towne

Haley Smith’s 7th grade students ran the world on Tuesday, January 31 and “cannot stop talking about it.” At International Towne, Haley’s students became international citizens for a day, working for wages as part of a country team, and driving the economic success of one of 16 nations. In preparation, they studied for weeks, learning about currency exchange, trade, opportunity cost and business problem solving before coming to International Towne. They even practiced computing compound interest as part of their “wise use of credit” lessons.

On their dedicated day, they put their lessons to the test, running their own global market and successfully solving an “International Dilemma” – a natural or political disaster that shut down an entire region to travel and trade. Haley’s students are back at school, using their International Towne post cards to act on their solutions and concerns on a global issue.  Insert PIC OF LETTER

International Towne is a program that creates engaged students who experience how complex economics relate to the real world.  Last year 11,523 middle school students (33% considered at-risk) completed International Towne, 11% growth over 2015.

Spotlight on Board Member Michael Gersack

Executive Committee Member Michael Gersack of Xcel Energy has been a Young Americans board member since 2011.  “Kids and money matters are important to me,” says Gersack, “especially when I see the issues my own teens face.” As Vice President, Customer Care for Xcel Energy Inc., Michael has a strong background in finance, leadership and the energy industry which he brings to governing Young Americans.  Read more.

YouthBiz Stars Winner Receives Timely Business Advice From Gala Guests

Kudos to the team from Davis Graham and Stubbs who really took their dual role as guests and business networkers at last fall’s YouthBiz Stars gala seriously.  The team of attorneys was seated with teens RJ Duarte and Owen Johnson, owners of Green Worx, a lawn mowing and landscaping business and winners of our 2015 business competition.

With post-event help from their pro bono legal team, the boys have worked out a 60/40 ownership plan, purchased two new vehicles and are on the lookout for a third, and are on pace to triple revenues in 2017 over 2015 results when they won the competition. With college on the horizon, their next goal is to come up with a business plan to addresses their big transition.

“This is the kind of networking that makes the YouthBiz Stars dinner event so unique and so inspiring,” says Vice President Betsy Sklar.  “Every young applicant, not just the winners, is invited to attend as a guest at a corporate table and, for most, this is their first introduction to the business community.”

Sponsor a table or purchase individual tickets for the Thursday, October 5, 2017 gala dinner and have a delightful evening with the opportunity to meet and help out this year’s outstanding youth business owners.

Sponsor Spotlight: Xcel Energy

Every day at Young AmeriTowne there’s a team of students in red shirts all over Towne, reading meters, checking the efficiency of the HVAC system, changing out energy hogging light bulbs and handing out tips on energy efficiency. They’re the business team from the Utilities Shop sponsored by Xcel Energy, a valued Young Americans partner for an amazing 18 years. Through this partnership, Xcel Energy builds a robust career-for-a-day experience for the students running the Utilities Shop. Read more.

Peakview Students Award the Very First Spark Change Grant

Congratulations to the students of Peakview Elementary School in Centennial! They just became the first Spark Change students to complete their service project. Peakview’s 561 students worked for months to raise $867.23 and selected the NeuroBlatoma Foundation’s Just-In-Time project for their first grant of $420.77. Peakview students filled Backpacks-of-Love with comfort items for childhood cancer patients at Children’s Hospital.

Spark Change is a new program of Young Americans Center. “Our goal is for Colorado children to grow up knowing how to manage their money,” says President and CEO Rich Martinez, “and good money management means knowing how to spend, save, SHARE and invest wisely.”

Spark Change offers K-8 students the chance to decide how they want to give back to their community and make a difference in the world!  Schools receive our lessons and coaching materials to guide student leaders through exploring their community’s needs, setting a goal and engaging the entire school in collecting change and volunteering through service projects to address their issue. This is an in-depth, year-long project! 

For information on how to get your child’s school involved contact Kelsie Byrd kbyrd@yacenter.org  or 303-320-3244.

We have lots of upcoming volunteer opportunities. Check out the Volunteer area of website to learn more and sign up.

Saturday, April 29^th, YouthBiz Spring Marketplace at Young Americans Center in Cherry Creek (3550 East First Ave., Denver 80206) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The YouthBiz Marketplace is the perfect place to support a young entrepreneur! Young business owners display and sell their unique products to the local community.  All products are handmade and personally sold by the owners.

If there’s a young entrepreneur in your family who needs a fun yet safe place to sell, a few booths are still available. A booth fee of $25 includes a table, table cloth and standard business sign. Register online or contact YouthBiz Coordinator Maite Wantwadi at mwantwadi@yacenter.org or 303-320-3213.