Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Launches Scholarship Fund to Prepare More Washington Area Youth for Business and Educational Success

WASHINGTON, Sept 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE DC Region) today launched a new Washington Youth Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund to invest in young people learning the fundamental life skill of entrepreneurship so they are better prepared to make it in the economy and stay in school.

One NFTE graduate shared her words, "My Dream is Not to Die in Poverty, But to Have Poverty Die in Me," as she utilized her business to get off government assistance in the mid 90's.  "The words of Michelle Araujo motivate me every day," says NFTE's Executive Director Julie Kantor, "after 19 years in the field, I see that we are in a perfect storm of need to prepare America's youth with skills for success and truly engage them to stay in school. High-quality youth entrepreneurship education has met its time."

The Washington Youth Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund will be chaired by Cynthia Krus, Partner at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP and NFTE Board Member.  "I am committed to raising this fund to underwrite at least 100 youth through the program.  While purse strings are tight in the schools, the business community should step up and supplement the programs with funding for award-winning curriculum, teacher professional development  training, seed capital for youth to launch businesses, field trips, and more.  $500 helps put one student through NFTE, and every low-income youth in the DC region should benefit from this program," says Krus.

Thomas Friedman agrees. In a January 24th New York Times op-ed called More (Steve) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Friedman states "The president should also vow to bring the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, or NFTE, to every low-income neighborhood in America."

According to the new census stats the number of people in poverty increased for children younger than 18 (14.1 million in 2008 to 15.5 million in 2009). Perhaps, through NFTE more young people like Michelle and the millions of youth in poverty can start building their 'exit strategies' from poverty for themselves and their families.  "We are teaching students that they don't have to just take a job, they can make a job," adds Krus.

In a 2010 internal evaluation of NFTE students in the Greater Washington, DC area, the following outcomes were found:

• 89% of NFTE DC students felt that the NFTE program had "a great deal of positive influence" or "a good influence" on their life.
• 97% of NFTE DC students said they would recommend the program to others.
• 47% of NFTE DC students found the program to be as important as other classes to their overall education and an additional 36% found the NFTE program more important.
• 93% of students started working toward a business plan, 81% completed such a plan, 62% presented the plan in class, and 41% started a business which was significantly above the national average of 26%.
• More NFTE DC students (33%) increased their aspirations to pursue college and higher degrees, compared to students who decreased them (24%) following the NFTE program.
• Students' entrepreneurial knowledge increased by 10% after completing the program.

About the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

Too many young people today drop out of school and struggle to break the cycle of poverty. Since 1987, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has been inspiring young people to pursue educational opportunities, start their own businesses, and succeed in life. By providing entrepreneurship education programs relevant to the real world, NFTE empowers students to own their educations in and out of the classroom and to find their own path to success. Hundreds of thousands of students have discovered opportunity all around them through entrepreneurship via thousands of certified educators worldwide. NFTE supports active programs in 21 states and 10 other countries through our network of program offices and licensed partners. The DC Region is celebrating its 15 year anniversary and over 22,700 program graduates. Entrepreneurs are a powerful driver of economic growth and NFTE sows the seeds of innovation in students worldwide. For more information, visit dc.nfte.com.

About Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP is a law firm with global reach known for solving challenging business problems and resolving sophisticated legal issues for many of the world's largest companies. Founded in 1924, the firm handles matters throughout the United States and worldwide. Seven major practice areas — corporate, energy and environmental, financial services, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, and tax — provide the framework for an extensive range of focus areas, allowing Sutherland attorneys to serve a diverse client base that ranges from small and medium-sized start-up businesses to a significant number of Fortune 100 companies.

SOURCE Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship