Elite Preparatory Academy is nurturing future entrepreneurs with its innovative new course, EntreX (short for “entrepreneurship experience”). Developed by the University of Delaware, EntreX is a 3-credit dual enrollment course for high school students. EPA School Counselor Eric Anderson teaches this course. EntreX is designed for students to develop “the mindset and means needed to turn problems into opportunities.” The course emphasizes “learning by doing” and it helps students build “a foundational entrepreneurial skillset that includes storytelling, leadership and business basics.”
Mr. Eric inspires his class to be adaptable, flexible, and creative. He asks his students to rewire their brains to solve problems with imaginative thinking and to process the world like an entrepreneur. He encourages students “to start viewing the world as a blank canvas with limitless possibilities for new ideas.”
EntreX meets once a week for an hour and a half. The students watch videos from the University of Delaware about topics, such as how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset with the aim of helping students acquire practical skills in various fields of business. They use 6 guided modules: Welcome to EntreX Lab, Mindset & Means, Evidence-Based Process, Startup Basics, Special Challenges, and Launching the Professional You. These modules include a mix of discussions, worksheets, reports, and quizzes. Mr. Eric requires his students to keep a detailed journal to record their ideas and reflections and to challenge themselves to solve tangible real-world problems. He also assigns his students to read articles, interviews, and stories about the experiences and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs.
EntreX sponsors the “Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs.” It is a competition in which students pitch and present new venture concepts to win top prizes and recognition for their original work. EntreX student Olivia Maio and her team (Hunter Yuan and Toby Yuan) are working on ReIron, which is an AI-powered recycling application allowing users to price materials through simple photos and to sell them to other users.
EntreX is an academic beehive at EPA. It is a stimulating laboratory to test ideas and concepts. Olivia Maio said, “I took this class to expand my horizons and to learn more about business. I want to develop a new way of thinking and a perspective on the world.”
EPA thrives on creativity and imagination. EntreX is helping our students to tap into their natural curiosity about the world and their eagerness to contribute to society.
Joseph Richard Preville is an English teacher at EPA.
Pere Payeras Pons is a Junior at EPA.