Entrepreneurship is no longer just for business students. The entrepreneurial spirit can be applied across all career clusters, from STEM to the arts, equipping learners with essential skills that will benefit them in any career path. Even if they don’t plan to become traditional entrepreneurs, learning entrepreneurial principles can ignite innovation and self-reliance that will serve young people throughout their lives.
In a of the CERTIFIED Educator Podcast, entrepreneurial education experts Christina Deibler and Marjorie Mitchell discussed why integrating entrepreneurship into education is essential for any number of career paths.
Expand their vision
Entrepreneurship education is about more than preparing to launch a business—it’s about developing a mindset that transforms how students tackle challenges, both personally and professionally. Teaching entrepreneurial principles gives learners the tools to build on what they already know and helps them connect with the right resources to grow.
Focusing on entrepreneurship has helped Christina and Marjorie’s classes to:
- View problems as opportunities. This shift is crucial in all workplace environments, where a growth mindset is critical for success.
- Encourage creativity and innovation. One of the most in-demand skills for any industry is creativity. Encouraging out-of-the-box thinking helps your future professionals to generate new ideas.
- Build critical thinking and resilience skills. In the classroom and the real world, young people need the skills to analyze situations, persevere through obstacles, and troubleshoot problems.
- Learn to embrace failure as a step toward success. Redefining “failures” as opportunities helps students grow as both life-long learners and employees.
Empowering your learners with the entrepreneurial mindset helps them see opportunities where others might only see obstacles, fostering resilience and persistence that will support them in all aspects of life.
Give them skills to succeed
Beyond mindset, entrepreneurship education also provides practical, transferable skills applicable to any career path. From understanding financial concepts to presenting ideas, learners gain valuable hard and soft skills for the workforce.
Christina and Marjorie focus on teaching students the following:
- Business financing and budgeting basics: Financial acumen is essential in any career.
- Presentation skills: From making eye contact and shaking hands to delivering a clear message, effective presentation skills can help young people stand out in interviews and other professional settings.
- Professional communication: Strong communication skills are crucial for building relationships and working collaboratively, and one of the skills most requested by employers.
Cultivating these skills gives a competitive edge in the workforce, preparing students for the demands of any profession.
Where do you start?
Incorporating entrepreneurship into your classroom doesn’t have to be complicated. Project-based learning offers a hands-on way to introduce these concepts, even for educators who don’t specialize in business.
Here are a few project ideas that Marjorie and Christina suggest to get started:
- "Shark Tank" competition: Students pitch business ideas to local entrepreneurs acting as judges. This fuels the competitive spirit and also allows them to make valuable connections to business owners in their geographic area.
- Object brainstorming: Give your classes an everyday object, like a paper clip or pencil, and have them brainstorm ways this object can be a solution to common problems.
- Super Bowl commercial project: Practice marketing skills by developing creative ad concepts for real-world products.
Need resources for additional ideas? Christina and Marjorie recommend for project-based lesson plans and the for free project ideas and resources.
By teaching entrepreneurial concepts and skills, you’re preparing students to adapt to the world outside the classroom and giving them the tools to thrive in an ever-changing workforce. The ability to think critically, act independently, and assess risk are all key components of success in any career. With an entrepreneurial mindset, young people will not only be able to recognize opportunities—they’ll know how to seize them when they arrive.
Want to hear more about fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in your students? Listen to the full featuring Christina Deibler and Marjorie Mitchell, and check out the show notes for additional resources and ideas to bring entrepreneurship into your classroom.