THE NEED

 

92% of executives said soft skills
are equally or more
important than technical.

89% said they have a difficult time
finding qualified candidates

 
 

Few organizations pair career exposure + professional skills + internships, and few students born in low income neighborhoods are exposed to professional opportunities at a young age, resulting in:

 

  • Limited understanding of professional opportunities

  • Disconnection from institutional supports and social capital

  • Limited community investment

  • Few professional mentors

  • Limited internship access

  • Narrowed sense of role in the world   

  • Limited understanding that academic success = future opportunity

  • Lower grades

  • Higher dropout rates

  • Lower college attendance rates

  • Lack of internal motivation



The solution is a comprehensive three-year professional development entrepreneurship program that puts students on a path toward economic security and social influence.

 

1.Exposure

Year 1

  • 24 weekly lectures from a variety of guest speakers and professionals

  • Meet new professional, political, or civic leaders every week

  • ELP presenters tell students what they do for work, how they got there , and emphasize the academic skills they rely on in their job

2. INNOVATION

Year 2

  • Take ELP’s Social Entrepreneurship Course

  • Get matched up with a business mentor

  • Develop a business plan and proposal idea

  • Design and launch ventures that tackle a persistent problem in their communities

3. EXPERIENCE

YEAR 3

  • Launch business ideas from year 2 with seed funding awarded at end of year

  • Manage, track, and report on business progress throughout the year

  • Find and complete internships in their career field of interest

  • Help guide Year 1s and 2s in the ELP Program and share experiences