10th PASCAL International Conference BREST 2012

Contribution Form for Workshop Session maximum length: 2 pages

Name Institution Telephone Fax Email First name: Tracy First name: Joanne Northern Illinois University 815.753.2090 815.753.7278 tlrogers@niu.edu jrd@niu.edu Surname: Rogers Surname: Dempsey

Please select the topic, only one choice:

Local development in the context of an ageing population Healthy cities Contribution from University in a time of crisis X The role of higher education institutions in remote regions
Please select the type of contribution, only one choice : X Case study Pilot Program Research results Survey or comparative analysis Critical analysis / reflection Title of your paper: Creating the Entrepreneurial Mind-Set to Support Economic Development: The Role of Economic and Entrepreneurship Education in Youth Unemployment Objectives of your presentation: 1) Present a rational for the value of foundational economic education supported by a schools culture, indigenous knowledge systems, and the local community for students grades 4-12 as part of entrepreneurship education; 2) Generate discussion on the value of entrepreneurship education for middle grades in regions impacted by the lack of economic development and/or decline; 3) Offer a framework for linking educational programs and students with authorities facilitating regional economic development; 4) Explore ways in which community education programs might also connect with and leverage Youth Unemployment intervention efforts such as those proposed by PIYU. Questions addressed within the topic: 1) How can foundational economics strengthen basic entrepreneurship education? 2) What are the roles of indigenous knowledge systems in the formation of entrepreneurial programs and educational initiatives? 3) What are the most effective roles for institutions of higher education, families, and non-governmental agencies in providing the essential elements of entrepreneurship education programs? 4) How can community be engaged effectively to make entrepreneurship education programs effective? 5) Can an entrepreneurial mind-set be created in middle-grades (4-9) students through economics and entrepreneurship education that increases their opportunities in the world of work?

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10th PASCAL International Conference BREST 2012 Summary of content (max. 600 words): Northern Illinois Universitys PASCAL office, in partnership with Econ Illinois, and educational and governmental representatives in South Africa, are working on the creation of a pilot economic and entrepreneurship education program for students in grades four through eight. Acknowledging the need to cultivate an entrepreneurial mind-set in students while leading them to greater focus on business development and career training, this initiative seeks to integrate experiential learning with foundational knowledge supported by a schools culture, indigenous knowledge systems, and the local business community. Geared to assist students in understanding how their decisions made at an early age can impact their prospects for future employment, this initiative has the potential to be implemented as a pilot program in economically disadvantaged regions struggling with rising youth unemployment. Program goals and outcomes include: Improved preparation of students for employment

The development in students of entrepreneurial skills and mind-sets for new business/job generation; Engagement of community business leaders to provide students with real-life experience with career opportunities and the development of entrepreneurial skills; Increased student understanding of the connection between what is learned in school and its applications in the world of work; Utilization of indigenous knowledge and investment by the community in youth entrepreneurial education and practices to enhance local and regional economic opportunities. This project focuses on developing a model in South Africa that may be adapted and replicated in any community/region of the world. Within South Africa, the primary/secondary education curriculum is developed and implemented at the national level, and changes/additions to curriculum take considerable time and political capital. To implement an entrepreneurship education program in the schools would also require considerable investment in teacher training, access to materials, and on-going oversight to assure consistency in the delivery of the project goals. Given these challenges, an after-school program that is already in existence at the Elgin Learning Foundation (ELF) has been selected as the organization for implementation of the proposed project. ELF is located in the Theewaterskloof region of Western Cape, which is primarily agricultural and rural. Officials in the area have developed a strong regional economic development plan and are supportive of the proposed initiative; however, training in and of itself is not sufficient to overcome the problems and challenges of developing communities. Individual students involved within the project will be able to engage in entrepreneurial activities, become agents of economic change within their communities, and through positive educational and developmental experiences enhance personal self-esteem, self-efficacy, and financial competency. Investment by the community, through ownership of the needs of its youth, relative to economic education, encouragement, and creation of early entrepreneurial skills is increasingly critical in todays challenging global economies and interconnected world. Project partners: Joanne Dempsey, Econ Illinois (Illinois Council for Economic Education at NIU), Northern Illinois University Tracy Rogers, Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University Dr. Marius Venter, and Lorraine Greyling, CENLED (Centre for Local Economic Development), University of Johannesburg, SAF Veronica Jacobs, Divisional Head: Operations and Manager: Knowledge Management and Resource Mobilisation, Elgin Learning Foundation Elzmarie Oosthuizen, Executive Director, and Ina Combrinck, South African Foundation for Economics and Financial Education (SAFEFE), University Free State of SAF Joanna Dibden, TWK Development Project (Theewaterskloof Municipality) Zenna Grove-Niewenhoudt, Western Cape Provincial Government, Deputy Chief Education Specialist, GET Head Office Western Cape Education Department Penny Vijevold, Western Cape Provincial Government, Superintendent-General of Education: Head of Education