On Wednesday, May 30th the Allentown School District hosted an entrepreneurial event that directly connected students with local business owners and entrepreneurs.
Held at St. Luke’s Hospital, students from Union Terrace Elementary School, Raub Middle School and Allen High School took part in a panel discussion to learn about each presenter’s educational background, work experience, and entrepreneurial journey.
Participates from the Lehigh Valley community included:
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Veronica Moore, Owner/Curator of Alma & Eva
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Brandon Morris, Co-Founder
and Director of Nightlife & Events, Faces International
•
Traci Shellenberger, Owner, Traci’s Learning Center
•
Danielle N. Adams, CEO, Certified Professional Coach, Queen Suite Coaching
•
Mo Taylor, Partner, Bayou Boys Hospitality Group
School Climate Coordinator, Stacey Gilmartin has been planning the event for several months. “The new guidelines set forth by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) places an emphasis on career readiness. We wanted to create an opportunity for our students that gives them the opportunity to explore career interests at every grade level,” said Gilmartin.
Participating students were provided with suggested discussion topics that directly correlate with the career readiness guidelines as outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Discussions explored understanding personal character traits important for success in entrepreneurial efforts, understanding finances, budgeting, and marketing strategies.
The session was recorded to be used in future educational classroom lessons related to career readiness. Teachers who use the video lesson will have participating students demonstrate their knowledge of business ownership through grade-appropriate projects.
As outlined in the Strategic Framework, ASD is committed to creating opportunities that ensure students graduate college and career ready with the skills necessary to explore and pursue post-secondary options that lead to success in work and in life.