Adoption of National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education

The Department of Management and Business Technologies at Sandhills Community College is adopting the National Standards for Entrepreneurship Education and joining the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education. We believe that students should not just learn ABOUT entrepreneurship, they should EXPERIENCE it as part of the instructional process. Curriculum at any stage of the lifelong learning model for entrepreneurship education may focus on any or all elements of the entrepreneurial process.

For the past 22 years the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (the Consortium) has provided leadership to those who teach our youth and adults about their country, their career opportunities, and the skills needed to be successful. Educators have created a wide variety of programs and activities to provide students with the experiences that nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship everywhere.

Based on the vision of our original mentor, Professor Albert Shapiro at The Ohio State University (deceased in 1985) the Consortium created the Lifelong Learning Model to demonstrate that entrepreneurship is a developmental process. We recognize the importance of nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit from early ages, and continuing it right through all educational levels. In most cases entrepreneurship is infused in classes where it provides the context for learning other basic skills and motivating students to want to learn. In the more advanced grades it also has become a separate course supporting the outcomes of the higher levels of the lifelong learning model.

The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (the Consortium) has been providing leadership and gathering enthusiasm for teaching entrepreneurship in our schools since 1982. The Consortium was formed in response to a Policy Paper from the US Department of Education, signed by then Secretary Terrell Bell. His concept was that entrepreneurship should be part of the curriculum for all vocational programs in secondary and post-secondary education.

Membership in the Consortium started with State Directors of Vocational Education who continue to be part of the Consortium leadership. Over the years, as the concept of entrepreneurship education spread to the broader K-12 education system and higher education, membership has expanded to include colleges and universities, local school systems, foundations, private businesses, and national organizations of many different types. Currently over 60 institutions and organizations - from inside and outside the US - are members of the Consortium.

Mission

To champion entrepreneurship education and provide advocacy, leadership, networking, technical assistance, and resources nationally across all levels and disciplines of education, while promoting quality practices and programs.

The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education has formed an entrepreneur-based advisory group starting in 2003 as a result of a Kauffman Foundation grant.

The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education -sponsored Think Tank recently worked on group consensus about the different outcomes for entrepreneurship programs at various levels of education.

The Think Tank is a voluntary "future thinking" group composed of a wide selection of educators who are practitioners in a variety of settings, educational levels, and locations throughout the US and beyond. While the results are not based on formal scientific research, they are provided here for the purposes of discussion and orientation to the concepts underlying the National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education.

As supporters of entrepreneurship education the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education applauds the great diversity of programs that fall under the framework of the National Standards for Entrepreneurship Education.

Copyright (c) 2004 by The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, Columbus, Ohio www.entre-ed.org