10 Reasons Why Every High Schooler Should Launch a Business

10 Reasons Why Every High Schooler Should Launch a Business

10 Reasons Why Every High Schooler Should Launch a Business

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, by Jenna Winocur

Do you often feel overwhelmed by choosing a college or even a path of study? Much of what you do in high school will shape your career interests and help you determine your major. Too many students will discover too late, however, that their chosen college major may not be for them. High school is the perfect opportunity to experiment with many different skills and find which ones invigorate or drain you. While some high school clubs might give you this chance, none of them can compare to launching a startup. Here are 10 reasons why every high schooler should launch a startup.

1. Entrepreneurship teaches a new way of thinking

Trying to find a real problem for a real customer requires empathy, a great skill to have in many aspects of your life. A startup is a perfect way to hone this skill.

2. Launching a business means being creative

            Entrepreneurship will give you the opportunity to become more creative and build this strength!

3. Know how to problem solve

            Entrepreneurship will provide you with the tools to problem solve no matter what problem you find yourself facing.

4. Invest in yourself 

             No matter what the outcome of your startup, you will notice the impact you’ve made on yourself simply by going through the entrepreneurial process.

5. Flexible hours during a busy high school schedule

           Regardless of how busy you may already be because of classes and extracurriculars, you can almost always find time to pursue a startup if you are willing to hustle and make it happen.

6. Overcome failure with ease

         When you inevitably encounter failure in a college or professional setting, if you can quickly learn from that failure and get back up on your feet, you will stand out among your peers.

7. Gain life advice from a mentor

          While mentors are vital to the growth of your startup, they can also give you excellent insights into yourself.

8. Build a personal brand

          Starting a business will give you a level of credibility that is unmatched by almost any other high school experience.

9. Have a great story to tell

          Regardless of if your startup fails or succeeds, you will have an amazing story to tell during future interviews.

10. Change the world

         If you want to make a meaningful, sustainable, and scalable impact on a social cause or issue you care about entrepreneurship may be perfect for you.

Life Changing School is a virtual high school program founded and run by Cornell University members and entrepreneurs. In LCS you will learn everything you need to know to build a sustainable startup focused on social impact. You could even begin making money by the end of the program! You will gain skills such as design thinking, creativity, adaptability, communication, leadership, and so much more. You will go through the customer discovery process and the Build Measure Learn feedback loop. You’ll receive world-class mentorship and get access to Q&A with some of the industry’s leading minds. At the end of six weeks, you will pitch your final product to a panel of expert judges. Building a startup provides you with the most powerful experience you can speak to for college applications or future interviews. You will overcome challenges and create something of value. LCS provides a rigorous entrepreneurship curriculum and startup incubator to high school students from anywhere in the world with no prior experience required. Register today using code: LCSOCT4 to receive $100 off of the program!

 

Global Youth Academy Recap

Global Youth Academy Recap

The ICSB Global Youth Academy Recap

Friday, July, 31, 2020 By Skye Blanks ICSB Global Youth Academy Program Chair

It has been a week since the end of the ICSB Global Youth Academy, but I am still in a state of amazement due to all the incredible participants I had the pleasure of meeting.

The ICSB Global Youth Academy was a two-week program hosted virtually. This was an incredible opportunity for high school juniors and seniors, during which they experienced perspective-shifting and changing presentations and activities. As entrepreneurs, we understand the value of the self. That is why this program taught students ways in which they represent and embody their brand and company (you, Inc.). By investing in themselves, this academy helped students begin preparing themselves for their futures ahead, which has never been more pertinent.

The program worked on a three-part model, known as “the 3 Ss.” Within this framework, students discovered world Systems, their Skills, and theirSelf. Systems include those national and international organizations that uphold all of our current world relations and markets. These include, but are not exclusive to, the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, the World Bank Group, and the World Health Organization. Next, we helped them discover their skills, through the creation of a final presentation about a new venture relating to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students also learned the ways in which they can optimize their skills and build their portfolio. The last and innermost element was the Self. By learning how to become more proximate with their strengths and weaknesses, students were able to promote themselves and their work even more than they imagined.

Entrepreneurship training is not restrained solely for entrepreneurs. Rather, entrepreneurship training introduces an innovative and important way of seeing the world through eyes of opportunity. This structural positivity will help these students succeed in any and every space that their future life involves. In participating in this renowned, international program, they have officially begun their entrepreneurial journey.

Special Congratulations to all the winners during the two week program!

Skye Blanks
ICSB Global Youth Academy Program Chair