Pathways to College or Entrepreneurship

Pathways to College or Entrepreneurship is a multi-layered interactive youth development program designed to expose the youth of Baltimore City to the essential elements of college readiness and entrepreneurship.

The College Pathway exposes program participants to the necessary steps of the college-going process. To do so, program participants will participate in a variety of college readiness activities that include: college tours of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Ivy League Universities; monthly workshops on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and exploring other financial aid opportunities; SAT preparation; college essay-writing courses; and other college exploration activities. Since the majority of program participants will be first-generation college students, this pathway is designed to challenge misconceptions and change any negative perceptions of college while providing the necessary tools for social entrepreneurship through education.

The Entrepreneurship Pathway exposes program participants to the essential elements necessary to start their own business. Using an interactive engagement model, participants will receive ongoing support from a variety of local business owners during interactive business workshops. These workshops are designed to inspire and shape new business ideas. Workshops will consist of a variety of business owners facilitating activities on the following topics and skills: sales; budgeting; marketing; forecasting; analysis; reporting; and decision support.

In addition, participants will be trained to prepare for and manage initial investments in start-up ideas as we assist them in long-term business planning. Youth will run small business ventures, affording them first-hand experience with running their own business and giving them the experience and know-how to start their own business. The capstone activity for this pathway will be the Entrepreneurial Start-Up Competition with an award of $1,000 for the top two start-up businesses.
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