The Young Entrepreneur Association (“YEA”)is a student-led organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship at a high school level. By working in a collaborative environment, our members learn valuable skills such as task delegation, fund management, marketing and other essential skills needed to be successful in business. What separates Y.E.A. from other student organizations is our constructive members and innovative growth strategy. You can learn more about us and what we have done by going to http://www.yeaonline.com.
Since our establishment in February 2007, Y.E.A. has seen a tremendous growth in members and popularity. In February, we started with only 20 members and a vision. Currently, Y.E.A. has over 50 members along with a waiting list. Our rapid growth in popularity is primarily due to our T-shirt fundraiser/advertisement, which was when 100 Tech students and faculty walked around the school with “yea baby” on their shirts.
Our t-shirt campaign recently gave us publicity in the school newspaper, The Survey as well as the Tech Internet Radio Project (TIRP). Not only did we receive publicity throughout school, but membership applications skyrocketed. Our members include: the Senior Class President; President and Vice President of BTHSnews.org; President of BETA; Treasurer, Parliamentarian, Vice President, and Historian of the National Honor Society; Managing editor of The Survey, and more. As you can see, we have a strong influence throughout Brooklyn Tech.
Along with practicing business skills, Y.E.A. prides itself on developing a strong network within Brooklyn Tech's Alumni foundation. In fact, Dr. Mathew Mandery, the CEO of the Alumni Foundation, is on our board of directors and consistently refers us to Alumni that are interested in assisting us. He also arranged for us to give a presentation during Alumni reunion day which allowed us to establish relationships with many interested Alumni.
The Young Entrepreneur Association also makes a strong effort to establish relationships with professionals to collaborate with student members. Recently, we met with the CEO of Vault.com, Mark Oldman, for a presentation where members learned valuable information about how to be a successful entrepreneur.
-------->The most attention the Young Entrepreneur Association received this year was during our Student vs. Faculty charity basketball game. During this event we had over 450 students and teachers in attendance. This was the largest charity event in modern Tech history! In a single event, we raised over 1,000 for IMPACT, a non profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of autistic children. At this event we gave out promotional products for Modell’s Sporting Good’s and Lab Series for men. We also sold chicken wings that were donated from the popular restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings.<-----------
Next year, we plan on having another charity basketball game. We believe that this teaches our members social responsibility. Next year our charity game will be held to benefit students in Sierra Leone. Along with holding another charity basketball game, we are holding the first ever Career Day in Brooklyn Tech's history. We believe that this event will be huge to help students develop a sense of what career they want to pursue and hear from proven professionals.
Along with these two major events, we are constantly going over business ideas and trying to improve what we call the "Tech Brand." After all, image is EVERYTHING! We plan on doing this by giving presentations to middle schools to tell students about Brooklyn Technical High School! Along with improving the schools brand we are constantly working to improving communication and relationships between the Alumni Foundation and current students.
Next year, the Young Entrepreneur Association plans on expanding into Bronx Science and Stuyvesant High School and to tap into the quality talent available there. Our growth strategy is a reflection of our end goal; not to make Y.E.A. as big as possible, but to create a strong network of highly capable entrepreneurs that will eventually spread nationwide. We hope that you will share this same vision with us.
If we were to win the plum grant, the money would help finance business workshops that we plan to hold and possibly finance a portion of future events.
Please go to www.yeaonline.com for more information. http://thesurvey.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/page1.pdf Our article in The Survey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTLp9K7z_A8 A video of the half time show at our charity basketball game. This is when a teacher performed with our Step Team. Very Funny!