IYF Develops Lessons on Entrepreneurship

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As part of its commitment to promote and strengthen critical life skills education worldwide, the International Youth Foundation (IYF) is pleased to announce it has developed a new entrepreneurship component for its signature life skills curriculum, Passport to Success® (PTS). This new skills set was specifically designed for use by young people participating in IYF’s Caribbean Youth Empowerment Program (CYEP), an initiative supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) that equips vulnerable youth in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and St. Lucia with the technical, vocational, and life skills they need to develop sustainable livelihoods.

In addition to vocational training, this year CYEP extended its skills training to include a second and third track on entrepreneurship and career guidance, and expanded the program to reach 1,100 more youth. IYF designed the new lessons to support an enhanced menu of services.

“This curriculum has helped thousands of young people around the world gain the confidence and skills to succeed in school, on the job, and in life,” said IYF President and CEO Bill Reese. “So I’m very pleased that with this additional entrepreneurship component, more youth will gain the knowledge and support needed to launch their own small businesses.”

As with all IYF life skills training, participants in the CYEP program will experience interactive exercises, group discussions, and hands-on learning—all adapted to meet the local needs of youth. The recently added skills being offered as part of CYEP’s entrepreneurship track include:

  • Creative thinking: learning to examine a problem/situation/challenge from multiple perspectives and to combine different perspectives to reach a creative conclusion. 
  • Creating a work team: understanding the importance of having a balanced set of skills and experience on the business team. 
  • Decision making: helping aspiring business owners to identify various decisions that they are likely to make and who is impacted by those decisions. 
  • Negotiating skills: why such skills are critical to running a successful business. 

Other life skills being taught as part of the new entrepreneurial component include leadership, giving constructive feedback, risk taking, coping with failure, and developing a support network.

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