Pitney Bowes Sponsors Innovative NFTE IGNITES! Camp

WASHINGTON, April  21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sacrifice, strategy, play and consultation are just four key ingredients of NFTE IGNITES!, an innovative spring break camp designed to teach high school students real-world skills as they work with and learn from area entrepreneurs. The weeklong program is hosted by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and the University of Maryland's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

"It is great to see such energy and optimism from high school students who sacrificed their spring break to gain a competitive advantage," said Asher Epstein, managing director of the Dingman Center. "NFTE's program is a great value-add and we are happy to partner and assist with providing training on entrepreneurial skills."

"Twenty students from DC, MD and VA schools were accepted into the camp based on an application process, a strong teacher recommendation and a strong determination to succeed," said Verice White, NFTE program director and camp coordinator.  

NFTE has provided more than 340,000 kids with entrepreneurship education since its founding in 1987. In the Washington, D.C. area, 24,700 local students have completed NFTE's Mini-MBA curriculum in their high schools and many received college credit for doing so.  NFTE is a world leader in promoting entrepreneurship and enables youth to achieve greater academic, personal, professional and financial success. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "There is no one in the country doing a better job than NFTE."  In a New York Times column, Thomas Friedman wrote, "The president should also vow to bring NFTE to every low-income neighborhood in America."  In January 2011, the White House named NFTE as a member of the Startup America Partnership to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of American entrepreneurs.

On the first day of NFTE IGNITES!, camp participants met with Paul Kihn, partner at McKinsey & Co., and Minal Damani, NFTE board leader, to learn how to be an effective consultant.  Three technology entrepreneurs -- Yanik Silver of Maverick 1million, Jack Liu of Teen Business Forum, and Ryan Seashore of Code Now -- met with the students and shared business challenges they currently face.  Students divided into teams to use the remainder of the week to research and will present recommendations and suggested action items for their entrepreneurs.  The NFTE IGNITES! Challenge will take place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Friday, April 22 from 1 to 3 p.m.  Many of the participants will also be networking with top leaders and showcasing their companies at NFTE's upcoming Dare to Dream Gala (www.daretodreamdc.org).

"This NFTE camp brings the creativity out of you and ignites your desire for business," said  Terron Bown, of Croom Vocational High School in Prince George's County, Md.

"The experience has changed my perspective on life, I was not prepared to get blown away," said participant Sabera Bushara, of Annandale High School in Virginia.

"The camp expanded my knowledge of the business world, while at the same time extending my philosophy and perspective at how to achieve success," said Ishmael Earle, of Hyde Leadership Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.

About NFTE

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to teach entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low-income communities. Since 1987, NFTE has reached over 340,000 youth.  Currently NFTE is taught by more than 1,500 active certified entrepreneurship teachers at programs in 21 states and 12 countries outside the U.S.  Since 1994, NFTE (http://www.nfte.com) has served more than 24,700 students in the DC Region.

About the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship has been a hub of campus and regional entrepreneurial activity for 25 years. Among the Dingman Center's resources is its Capital Access Network (CAN), which enables entrepreneurs in the mid-Atlantic region to connect with active, accredited angel investors for open and efficient access to early-stage capital. The center also helps lead the University of Maryland's Technology Transfer programs and provides MBA and undergraduate students at the university with practical experiences and opportunities to pitch their business ideas, obtain feedback from experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence and access funding.

About Pitney Bowes

A generous grant from Pitney Bowes allowed twenty students to hone their entrepreneurial and consulting skills. Celebrating its 90th year of innovation, Pitney Bowes is a $5.6 billion company that employs 33,000 worldwide and provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels.

Contact:  Julie Kantor
(202) 467-6383
(202) 431-5016 cell

SOURCE Robert H. Smith School of Business