Seeding Puerto Rico's Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Photo Credit: Banco Popular, Inc.

Commitment to Action

Seeding Puerto Rico's Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Commitment by

Popular, Inc.

In 2013, the Echar Pa'lante Collective Impact Initiative (EPL), sponsored by Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, committed to accelerate the development of Puerto Rico's next generation of entrepreneurs by scaling and expanding the impact of its individual programs Island-wide; reinforcing them with new complementary programs; and establishing an integrated and cohesive system to accompany young entrepreneurs in their journey from intermediate school to university. This Commitment to Action will help integrate all EPL Youth programs into a master cohesive system that will accompany kids though their journey from seventh grade to the university and result in a larger impact than the individual EPL programs on their own. The system will also develop entrepreneurship-focused youth chapters in the main professional organizations; capacity building programs for public and private school teachers, mentors and parents; a series of scheduled opportunities to exhibit and sell their products and services at local fairs/conventions/corporate venues; a volunteer mentor-matching program; and an Island-wide annual Youth Enterprises EXPO.

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Overview

Summary

Commitment

Seeding Puerto Rico's Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Launched

2013

Est. Duration

4 years

Estimated Total Value

$687,000

Region

Latin America & Caribbean

Countries

PUERTO RICO

Commitment by

Popular, Inc.

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

Rotary International, Puerto Rico Products Association, Iniciativa Tecnológica Centro Oriental, Microsoft, Iniciativa Tecnológica del Este, Walmart, Guayacan Group, YEES!, AARP, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Foundation for Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, MindChemist, El Nuevo Día, University of the Sacred Heart, Alianza para la Educación en Economía y Finanzas Personales, Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Museum of Art, Anna G. Mendez University System, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

Details

APPROACH
In 2013, the Echar Pa'lante Collective Impact Initiative (EPL), sponsored by Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, committed to accelerate the development of Puerto Rico's next generation of entrepreneurs by scaling and expanding the impact of its individual programs Island-wide; reinforcing them with new complementary programs; and establishing an integrated and cohesive system to accompany young entrepreneurs in their journey from intermediate school to university so that at least 8,000 students are impacted of which 1,650 will gain access to afterschool programs and mentoring opportunities. Professional development and skills-based trainings are expected to impact 400 teachers, 100 mentors, and 200 parents.
The Commitment to Action will help integrate all EPL Youth programs into a master cohesive system that will accompany kids though their journey from seventh grade to the university and result in a larger impact than the individual EPL programs on their own. An EPL Youth Entrepreneurship Team will coordinate efforts and composed of representatives of the CTA partners, as well as a group of senior educators serving as advisors. EPL allies already include leading local educators in entrepreneurship, the leaders of the education committees of Puerto Rico's main professional organizations and key members of Puerto Rico's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Also, EPL will add experts in curriculum development from both public and private institutions to reinforce the team. Noteworthy, the main sources of expertise, capacity and resources will be provided by the volunteer mentors/collaborators that will be brought onboard by the professional organizations through their member services departments.
The system will include a series of experiences that will provide young entrepreneurs the opportunity to exhibit and sell their products in a variety of events, and at participating retailers, such as annual conventions of the main professional organizations (ie. Made in Puerto Rico Fair, Made in Puerto Rico Convention, Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association Convention, Chamber of Commerce Convention, Centro Unido de Detallistas Convention and SHRM Convention).
Individual Programs to be Scaled and Expanded:
The School Communities Pilot with Entrepreneurship component will be expanded from the current 11 to 23 and 41 intermediate level schools in August 2013 and January 2014 respectively, in a build-block approach. The program serves 10 to 15 students per semester per school through entrepreneurship workshops, resulting in 1 to 2 new micro-businesses per semester per school. The scale-up should result in an increase from 30 new micro-businesses in 2012-2013 to a minimum of 80 micro-enterprises during 2014. To be able to serve the larger number of youth, workshops will be provided in two regional locations with the support of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, the Interamerican University System and the Puerto Rico Techno Economic Corridor.
Puerto Rico Manufacturer's Association (PRMA) Yo Soy un Futuro Empresario Extracurricular school program will be re-established in all PRMA regions and expanded from 130 kids in 2012-2013 to 300+ kids in 2013-2014, and 1300 in 2014-2015 with the support of the PRMA regional chapters. The expansion will be supported by a PRMA members mentors program.
Alianza para la Eduación en Economía y Finanzas Personales Vocational Teachers Entrepreneurship 'train-the-trainer' module to be offered to all Technical and Vocational Teachers Island-wide (program developed in coordination with the Department of Education). The module prepares vocational teachers to develop entrepreneurship skills embedded in the vocational curriculum.
New Complementary Programs to be added:
-Made in Puerto Rico Jr. Chapters will be established in the original schools of the School Communities Pilot.
-PRMA Yo Soy un Futuro Empresario Advanced program for returning young entrepreneurs
-Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurship Workshop for Youth with Special Needs (High School and University level)
-Young Entrepreneurship EXPO (a la Science Fair; Marketplace format) sponsored and developed by an alliance of universities composed of: the University of Puerto Rico, Interamerican University, University of the Sacred Heart, Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez and EDP University.
-Young Entrepreneur Parents Module
-AARP Mentor Volunteer Program
-Tech Based Entrepreneurship Educational Videos developed by Microsoft, University of the Sacred Heart and BPPR.
Integrated and Cohesive System to be Established:
Annual Calendar of Opportunities to exhibit and sell for Young Entrepreneurs 7-16 at:
-Made in Puerto Rico Annual Fair (December)
-Made in Puerto Rico Annual Convention (April)
-Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association Annual Convention (May)
-Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce Annual Convention (June)
-Centro Unido de Detallistas Annual Convention (August)
-SHRM Annual Convention (September)
-Participating companies, such as Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and Walmart, will host events at selected dates throughout the year
All efforts will be coordinated by the EPL Youth Entrepreneurship Team with the support of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico.
ACTION PLAN
This CTA's first year will begin in August 2013 with the establishment of the Puerto Rico EPL/CGI Team.
The preliminary implementation plan is as follows:
OND 2013: Development of Detailed CTA Execution Plan for 2013-2014 by the EPL/CGI Team
- Start Development of Awareness and Educational Campaign via Mass and Alternative Media
- Launch volunteer mentor program pilot (50 start-up volunteers)
- Start Hecho en Puerto Rico Jr. Clubs Pilot at 5 selected intermediate level schools
- Start of 500 vocational teachers/mentor/parents entrepreneurship training program
- Start of ongoing Young Entrepreneurs Development and Exhibition program
- Start Yo Soy un Futuro Empresario program at all PRMA regions
JFM 2014: Conduct Young Entrepreneurs EXPO pilot
- Start University Student Entrepreneurs pilot (currently at pre-pilot stage)
- Start Tech-based Young Entrepreneurs program (currently at pre-pilot stage)
AMJ 2014: Launch Entrepreneurship Teacher's and Mentors Recognition program
JAS 2014: Expand University Student Entrepreneurs program Island-wide
- Expand volunteer mentors program Island-wide
OND 2014: Deploy train-the-trainer teacher's program through Department of Education
JFM 2015: Expand Young Entrepreneurs EXPO
AMJ 2015: Launch Parent's Recognition program

Background

Puerto Rico's entrepreneurial sector is underdeveloped to the point of curtailing significantly the Island's potential economic growth. According to Dr. Mario Marazzi from the Statistics Institute, Puerto Rico has the lowest number of enterprises per capita compared to all U.S. states and territories, and one of the lowest entrepreneurial ratios in the world.
There are very few educational and/or government programs supporting the development of entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico. Furthermore, former Secretary of Education Dr. César Rey reports that the educational system lacks teachers trained in entrepreneurial education and has limited programs to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and the skillset needed among the Island's youth. Puerto Rico needs to accelerate the development of an entrepreneurial culture, as a fundamental component of the Island's economic growth strategy. To this end, Puerto Rico must transform its educational system with the support of the private sector by embedding into every curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular program K-16 (university level) the development of entrepreneurial competency and skills.
The Echar Pa'lante Collective Impact Initiative (EPL) was launched in Puerto Rico in August 2011 with the mission of fostering a change in attitude among the people of Puerto Rico to increase self-reliance and productivity. Over 250 organizations and individuals from private, non-profit, and public sectors have committed to participate in EPL. EPL is an action-driven initiative with two main initial objectives: 1) accelerate the development of a Global Entrepreneurial Culture in Puerto Rico; and 2) reduce intermediate grade student school desertion. Within the eight main EPL strategies is the development of a critical mass of Next Generation entrepreneurs via intermediate and high school-aligned programs. The EPL Youth Entrepreneurship vision is for 'every kid in Puerto Rico to experience a business start-up at the intermediate grade school level, as a means to uncover and explore their inner potential.'

Partnership Opportunities

SEEKING

Puerto Rico's Youth Entrepreneurship Commitment is seeking support in identifying entrepreneurship and creativity/innovation education programs for teachers, mentors, coaches, parents and 6-16 youth that could be implemented in the Island. The Commitment also needs funding to train a critical mass of intermediate and high school teachers in entrepreneurship and the development of creativity/innovation skills.

Progress Reports

May 2015

The Echar Pa'lante Initiative youth entrepreneurship team responsible for the commitment has solidified, and meets periodically to assess progress, support content development, and coordinate efforts.

*Based on an in-depth analyses of available entrepreneurship education programs for middle and high school students, the team developed a holistic approach that develops knowledge and skills through education in economics, finance, entrepreneurship, and creativity/innovation (EFEC). The comprehensive program has received widespread support.
*With the help of the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA) the team started the implementation of an effort called "Operation Lighthouse" with the objective of establishing a school community program with the entrepreneurship component in one "lighthouse" school per town that would serve as a role model for other schools in the vicinity, and facilitate training of volunteers to expand the program on their own later on.
*The Department of Education authorized offering the program in intermediate schools as a complement to the academic offering and assigned funding to support the school community program with the entrepreneurship component in 30 schools/towns.
*The Department of Education authorized the inclusion of the EFEC train-the-trainer modules in their professional development program. Public teachers now receive credit for contact hours at Echar Pa'lante trainings, and will be encouraged from 2015-2016 on to dedicate 25% of their required annual professional development credits to EFEC modules. On March 2015, 187 public teachers received their first Echar Pa'lante/Department of Education training certification.
*The Association of Private Schools adopted the EFEC Model, and the alliance implemented a pilot program of "train-the-trainers" for private school teachers on Economics and Finance. During the 2015-2016 the modules on Entrepreneurship and Creativity/Innovation will be incorporated.
*In order to accelerate impact the alliance and the Department of Education agreed to implement a "snowball strategy" that will train (with certifications) in EFEC 100% of the 1895 Vocational, Ocupational, and Technical public school teachers during the next three years. Over 600 of those teachers have already completed the Financial Education program. Given the penetration of those teachers in the intermediate and high schools in the Island, the alliance expects increasing support to the programs in a short time.
*Encouragingly, the Echar Pa'lante alliance is also training a critical mass of university professors in Entrepreneurship who will also be available to provide train-the trainers to public school teachers, mentors, coaches, and parents. To this end, the alliance brought the Babson College faculty to Puerto Rico in November 2014 and trained 53 university professors from 9 campuses and varied disciplines.
*All students participating in the school communities entrepreneurship program become members of the Made in Puerto Rico Jr. chapter and are invited to participate in the Made in Puerto Rico events.
*The Made in Puerto Rico Jr. section is now a permanent section of the annual Made in Puerto Rico Fair.
*Young entrepreneurs are also being invited to participate in the annual conventions of the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association, the Chamber of Commerce, TEDx Youth, and other entrepreneurship events.
*Through the school community program the alliance is helping to expand the impact of Junior Achievement.
*The alliance is well on its way to conduct the first Youth Entrepreneurship EXPO on November 6, 2015 at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus with the support of the six largest universities and the largest professional organizations (Microsoft, Coca Cola , Subway and Banco Popular, among others).
*The alliance conducted the first Youth Entrepreneurship Summit on September 2014 with the participation of the Global Entrepreneurship Learning Initiative CEO, Thom Ruhe (former head of Entrepreneurship at Kauffman Foundation),
*The alliance continued to support the development of youth chapters in the largest professional organizations. These organizations are all going through transition processes and have agreed to integrate efforts, especially those related to youth programs. The team is focused in evolving programs from a summer or one semester effort, to a two year guided program that provides continuity through mentoring to the emergent entrepreneurs.
*The alliance started conversations with the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Boys & Girls Clubs to leverage their entrepreneurship programs and expand their impact first to their members, and then to other kids that can also participate.
*The main change to the program has been the inclusion of efforts to reinforce math through the Echar Pa'lante programs. Upon careful review of the education statistics the alliance realized the critical need to reinforce math as only 9% of public school students are passing the standardized math tests. To this end, the alliance decided to include in the EFEC modules math exercises related to the subject matter that support the topics taught at the appropriate school level. This effort has been very well received by the Department of Education, and the Math and Social Studies Divisions are embracing EFEC as a tool to teach/reinforce math skills.
*The main development focus for 2015-2016 will be training a critical mass of mentors and coaches.