Community Family Schools

Penn State Lehigh Valley Announces 2019 Teen Entrepreneur Challenge

Teen Entrepreneur Challenge

Penn State Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley LaunchBox and Perkiomen School offer a 10-day summer camp for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in developing the foundation for a successful business or product idea.

Est. Read Time: 2 mins
Teen Entrepreneur Challenge

Teen students who participated in the 2018 Teen Entrepreneur Challenge at Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley.

Creative collaboration fuels innovation, and the Teen Entrepreneur Challenge (TEC) is poised to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. Penn State Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley LaunchBox and Perkiomen School offer a 10-day summer camp for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in developing the foundation for a successful business or product idea.

Students will learn key strategies for launching a startup and developing an entrepreneurial spirit from Penn State professors, Perkiomen School teachers, business leaders and LaunchBox grant recipients. Field trips and hands-on, real-world exercises expose them to the confidence and knowledge required to consider their own entrepreneurial journey.

The program runs from July 8-17, 2019. While new opportunities are in the works for 2019, see the schedule from last year here to get an idea of the offerings of TEC.

Students attend programs at Penn State Lehigh Valley during the day and at Perkiomen School in the evening. They will reside at Perkiomen School, which sits on a 165-acre campus with residential, athletic and academic facilities. Their Innovation Center offers programming in modern technologies, 3-D virtual reality, additive manufacturing, computer design and rapid prototyping.

“My son, Jason, loved the program! He felt as though he gained a great deal and had fun at the same time. I think TEC ranks among the best summer programs he has attended,” said Judy Dones of San Antonio, Texas, whose son Jason attended TEC in 2018. “I was delighted about the caliber of professors and administrators who ran, contributed to and participated in the program. I was also impressed by all the connections that Jason was able to make with professionals in their respective fields… TEC is a fantastic program and I’m very glad that Jason attended.”

The TEC culminates in a “Shark Tank” style pitch competition in which students present their ideas for a solution that addresses a real-world business problem to a panel of judges who choose a winner based on pre-determined criteria. This gives TEC students the opportunity to develop different perspectives, build a personal brand, work as a team, connect to future employers and explore STEM educational programming.

The cost per student is $1,595.00 and includes housing, activities, meals and transportation. An early bird registration fee of $1,495.00 is available for those who register before April 15, 2019. Limited scholarships may be available based on financial need. Dual enrollment is available for an additional $1,000, which includes three college credits transferable to the college or university of the student’s choice.

For more information about the Teen Entrepreneur Challenge, or to register, visit the Teen Entrepreneur Challenge website, call 610-285-5111 or email su*************@ps*.edu.

Newsletter

Subscribe to receive our newsletter in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday & Friday.

Please wait...

Thank you for subscribing!

About the author

Josh Popichak

Josh Popichak is the owner, publisher and editor of Saucon Source. A Lehigh Valley native, he's covered local news since 2005 and previously worked for Berks-Mont News and AOL/Patch. Contact him at josh@sauconsource.com.

Leave a Comment