DATE: July 01, 2008

CONTACT: Kathy Wright, (864) 226-1581
kwrght@clemson.edu

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741
spalmer@clemson.edu

Clemson University offers entrepreneurship education for 10 to 12 year olds

ANDERSON — Youngsters ages 10 to 12 can learn about becoming an entrepreneur, citizenship and economics in Mini-Society, a program being offered this summer through the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service.

It will be offered from 1 to 4:30 p.m. July 28 to Aug. 1 at the Anderson County extension office at 313 S. Towers St. The cost is $45. It will be facilitated by extension agent Kathy Wright, one of two Mini-Society trainers who have received recognition for work in this program.  

Students will get to establish their own societies, print their own money, open businesses and create a governing body. This experience helps children understand more about math, law, entrepreneurship, economics, government and ethics.

Registration and payment must be received one week in advance of the camp. Call 226-1581, ext. 0, for a registration form. 

Mini-Society was conceived by Marilyn Kourilsky in the early 1970s and has been refined, extended and tested in the three decades since. It has been widely implemented in more than 43 states and has been shown to be effective across socioeconomic boundaries and student learning styles.

In the program, the students will develop a self-organizing economic society with the to resolve a classroom situation involving the fundamental economic issues of scarcity and allocation of resources.

The students will identify opportunities and initiate entrepreneurship ventures to provide goods and services to their fellow citizens.

The knowledge and skills acquired through Mini-Society also incorporate and complement other similar studies including language arts, math, government and law, ethics and cooperative learning.

For more information, call 226-1581, ext. 0.

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