The entrepreneurial spirit continues to grow. According to a December 2023 report from Intuit, nearly a quarter of US consumers (23%) are considering starting a new business this year. However, barriers such as rising interest rates and credit card debt can often make long-term success and financial stability difficult for small business owners.
Empowering today’s learners with entrepreneurial knowledge allows them to navigate small business ownership despite hardships and financial obstacles. This begs the question: Why aren’t we helping today’s learners prepare to run a successful business in the future? Tomorrow’s business leaders are in the classroom today, which means it’s crucial to give them the knowledge they need before graduation.
This is where National Entrepreneurship Week comes in.
What is National Entrepreneurship Week?
A congressionally chartered week dedicated to empowering entrepreneurship across the United States, the annual initiative was relaunched in 2017 as NatlEshipWeek to bring together a network of partners from Maui to Miami to educate, engage, and build equitable access to America's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Every year, National Entrepreneurship Week hosts a series of planned events and helps ecosystem builders share their events taking place across the country. You can see the full line-up of events here, all happening between February 10-17, 2024.
Can I join National Entrepreneurship Week as an educator?
Absolutely! As an entrepreneurship educator, you are crucial to building the entrepreneurship opportunity. In fact, between Certiport and the NatlEshipWeek team, there are multiple opportunities for you to connect with and learn from your fellow educators.
- February 12 at 9:00 AM-3:00 PM EST: Entrepreneurship Education Day: The National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (Entre-Ed) is hosting an all-day event to kick-off National Entrepreneurship Week. All educators are welcome to attend any and all of the series of live interviews throughout the day. The EntreEd team will conduct panel discussions with a new and engaging entrepreneurship education expert every hour. You can register for the full day here.
- February 14 at 1:00 PM EST: Teaching Entrepreneurship across Career Clusters: Learners need to see that business, particularly entrepreneurship, is everywhere! In this CERTIFIED Academy: Business webinar, sponsored by Certiport’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business program and Intuit, we’ll discuss the importance of entrepreneurship education. Whether your learners want to open their own businesses or not, discover how entrepreneurship training will help ensure tomorrow's leaders are prepared with the tools to navigate the future competitive landscape, regardless of the career path they pursue.
- These two events are just the start! There’s a full line-up all week, so make sure to check out the other sessions available here.
How can I celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week with my students?
Maybe you already teach an entrepreneurship course. Perhaps you’re looking for ways to bring an entrepreneurial spirit into another course. If you want to start small, consider veteran educator Jennifer Stubblefield’s ideas for bringing entrepreneurship into the classroom. These teaching opportunities can be for an entire class, or even just a few minutes. Start small and build on your learners’ enthusiasm.
When you’re ready to scale up your entrepreneurship energy, Certiport is here to help. Our Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) certification program can help get learners excited about entrepreneurship. The ESB program engages and prepares learners who will pursue additional postsecondary training or those who elect to enter the business sector immediately upon graduation. It also empowers those coming from trade schools and skill training where the focus is developing a skillset that can be leveraged for a lifetime. The entrepreneurial concepts validated by this certification help ensure that these learners are ready for college, careers, and life.
Where can I get more information about National Entrepreneurship Week?
The National Entrepreneurship Week team is ready to answer your questions! Connect with them through the Reach Out form available here.