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Dive Brief:
- Entrepreneurship uses the same problem-solving cycle of “observe, question, hypothesize, experiment” taught in labs as part of the scientific method, according to Cristal Glangchai, founder of VentureLab, a nonprofit aimed at expanding access to entrepreneurship education.
- The subject, however, is seldom framed this way, nor is the concept of the “science of business” often considered in the first place, she said. “What we’ve found is that STEM is the ‘how’ — it’s the skills, tools and knowledge. When you add entrepreneurship, it’s the ‘why,’ the ‘who,’ and the impact and purpose — how it’s affecting people, and how you can use it in the real world.”
- That’s been the experience for high school juniors and seniors in the WG Thrive incubator at Webster Groves School District in suburban St. Louis, who have created numerous businesses using scientific concepts in the past seven years — although the incubator’s focus is not limited to STEM, according to Kara Siebe, WG Thrive’s program coordinator.
Dive Insight:
“My students start real businesses, pay real taxes and earn real money,” Siebe said, adding that they have weekly meetings with mentors, site visits to area businesses, and appearances by local business people such as certified public accountants.
One business launched this year at Webster Groves High School focused on an organic spray to deodorize sports equipment, made in partnership with a local organic soap company.
“[Students] said, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re using chemistry, we’re using measurements,’” Siebe said. “They had to research what types of preservatives needed to be put into the spray so it doesn’t grow mold or become toxic. The chemistry teacher loves that they come to her and start asking questions.”
In some cases, they already have heard the answers in chemistry class but didn’t retain the information until they had a practical use for it, she said. “Teachers encourage their students to take Thrive so they can see the connections.”
Entrepreneurial education in Webster Groves starts with a unit in 3rd grade social studies, continues with after-school programming in grades 4-6, and then returns to the classroom in 7th and 8th grades with a course called Junior Thrive that prepares students for the high school incubator.
In 9th grade, students can take an alternative algebra class called Amped in which they use algebraic concepts to run a business — which works especially well for students who are very creative or have ADHD, Siebe said. “It’s kids who, in a normal class, would not pay attention because they didn’t see the use” of the concepts, she said.
VentureLab has been partnering with the Scobee Education Center at San Antonio College in Texas, which teaches STEM education, to train teachers in grades 1-8 in science-related entrepreneurship, Glangchai said, adding that her organization focuses mostly on elementary and middle school.
But VentureLab did focus on high schoolers for a recent 1½-day social impact challenge held at Trinity University in San Antonio. “It took them through the entire process, from developing ideas to coming up with a product and pitching it,” she said. The event culminated in a showcase during which students won prizes and spoke to a panel of judges.
Infusing entrepreneurial content into the school day can be a challenge for educators who have core curricula they already need to cover, often geared toward high-stakes tests or other standards, Glangchai said. So VentureLab has started focusing about 80% of its work on the after-school component.
“We’re taking educators through the entrepreneurial mindset themselves,” she said. “We provide kits for students and educators that have a set topic that they can pull into the classroom. We’re making it easier for the educator to … overlay entrepreneurship into the topic they’re teaching.”
In science class, the scientific method examines how a process or natural phenomena is working. In the entrepreneurial setting, the question becomes, “How can we make this product for a person?” Glangchai said. “It resonates with educators when I compare it to the scientific method.”
Glangchai added that all of VentureLab’s activities account for another key factor: “What does industry think is most important for their careers and skill sets for the future?”
