Youth Entreprenuers® Kansas

about YEK

YEK teaches free enterprise fundamentals through hands-on experiences and encourages students to start their own business, enhance their business skills for future career opportunities and continue into higher education. During the class, each student writes a business plan, participates in classroom competitions, and receives school credit for successfully meeting class completion requirements. YEK graduates’ involvement is maintained through the Alumni program, which promotes continued learning opportunities and community service. To learn more about the classroom programs or to see a complete list of current sites, click here.

mission
To provide students with business and entrepreneurial education and experiences to help them prosper and become contributing members of society.

vision

To: Develop in students the passion and skills to succeed in the marketplace and life.


	>		By stimulating economic thinking skills

	>		By encouraging creative, intelligent risk-taking

	>		By providing practical business experience, and

	>		By instilling independence and personal responsibility.

So: Participants are productive members of society who make their lives and the lives of others better.

goals


	1		To provide the knowledge needed to start and maintain their own business

	2		To help students understand how to apply that knowledge and be a better employee (to act like an owner)

	3		To encourage students to pursue higher education

history

Youth Entrepreneurs® Kansas (YEK) was founded in 1991 by the Charles G. Koch Foundation. It began as an eight-week program at Wichita High School North, and eventually expanded to an entire school-year course. In 1997, YEK converted from a private, not-for-profit foundation to a public, not-for-profit foundation. It is a licensed program of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and is open to all high school sophomores and juniors, but is targeted toward at-risk youth.

View a list of current YEK schools.