Sangamon CEO
Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Sangamon CEO is about Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO). It is a year-long experience that aims to empower talented young adults to become innovator problem-solvers and enterprising, action-oriented entrepreneurs. Students visit area businesses, learn from experts, participate in a class business, write business plans, and start and operate their own business.
The vision for the Sangamon CEO program is based upon a model that has been used successfully in Effingham, Illinois since 2008. The 20 to 25 students in the Sangamon CEO class meet for 90 minutes every day of the school year. During that time, they visit 50 to 60 local businesses; write two or three individual business plans and present them to bankers; and start their own businesses as well as a class business. A mentor from the local business community is assigned to each CEO student.
While emphasizing real-world learning over textbooks, the class is linked to Common Core and national entrepreneurship education standards, provides high school credits, and offers three hours of college credit from Benedictine University at Springfield. Students are selected for the class through a rigorous application process, including letters of recommendation and an entrepreneurial profile. Grades are not the defining admission standard.
The class meets for 1 ½ hours each school day from 7:30-9:00 am at a multitude of locations throughout the area. The program is open to all Sangamon County high school seniors in good standing that can provide their own transportation to our many class sites.
To find out more about our program, visit www.SangamonCEO.com.
The vision for the Sangamon CEO program is based upon a model that has been used successfully in Effingham, Illinois since 2008. The 20 to 25 students in the Sangamon CEO class meet for 90 minutes every day of the school year. During that time, they visit 50 to 60 local businesses; write two or three individual business plans and present them to bankers; and start their own businesses as well as a class business. A mentor from the local business community is assigned to each CEO student.
While emphasizing real-world learning over textbooks, the class is linked to Common Core and national entrepreneurship education standards, provides high school credits, and offers three hours of college credit from Benedictine University at Springfield. Students are selected for the class through a rigorous application process, including letters of recommendation and an entrepreneurial profile. Grades are not the defining admission standard.
The class meets for 1 ½ hours each school day from 7:30-9:00 am at a multitude of locations throughout the area. The program is open to all Sangamon County high school seniors in good standing that can provide their own transportation to our many class sites.
To find out more about our program, visit www.SangamonCEO.com.