Why you MUST include Entrepreneurship in High School
The world is changing, but fast. We’re in what’s called the 4th Industrial Revolution, and like every Industrial Revolution before it, jobs and fortunes are lost and made- sometimes incredibly quickly. Developing an Entrepreneurial mindset is one of the best ways to ensure vocational and financial stability, regardless of what’s happening in the world.
Teaching our kids to think entrepreneurially will allow them to develop the skills to identify and make the most of challenges, opportunities, and failures. It will give them the confidence they need to succeed in a variety of situations and circumstances, despite a crazy economy and ever-changing vocational landscape.
Massive shifts are already underway. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2024, 87 million jobs will be displaced by shifts to machines. But, it’s not all bad news as 97 million new roles may emerge across various industries and economies (for more on this, check out our podcast on The Future of Work for more on this) Our kids are going to have to be more vocationally agile and flexible than ever before.
What’s so Important about Entrepreneurship?
Let’s start with the basics. What exactly IS entrepreneurship? An entrepreneur is, according to the Oxford Dictionary:
“Entrepreneur: a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.”
Entrepreneurs also play a key role in the economy. They anticipate the needs of society and bring those ideas to bear in the form of products and services. They are willing to take on the risk of creating something new, and as a result, they are rewarded with profit, recognition, and, most importantly, more opportunities and continued growth.
In an Industrial Revolution, as societies change and morph, Entrepreneurs have unprecedented opportunities for profit and growth, particularly as technology creates new opportunities related to transportation and communication.
Furthermore, in a time when there is rapid change, entrepreneurs can create their own stability if they have the wherewithal and ability.
Skills an Entrepreneur Needs
You’ll notice that successful entrepreneurs develop skills that allow them to succeed regardless of what they do vocationally.
Versatility- entrepreneurs might find themselves providing customer service, marketing, bookkeeping, sales, graphic design, taking out the trash, and who knows what else. A successful entrepreneur must know things or at least be willing to learn and lean into what they need to know next!
Flexibility- entrepreneurs must listen and hear from customers and adeptly provide goods and services that meet the needs of their customers.
Resilience – Grit might be the fine line between successful and unsuccessful in the world of entrepreneurship. Being able to handle disappointments and failure and get up with the determination to succeed is a necessary entrepreneurial skill.
Money Sense – understanding Profit and Loss, Revenue, Cost per Acquisition, Monthly Expenses, and Conversion Rates can mean the difference between failure, mediocre and wild success.
Focused -the ability to set a goal and unwaveringly work towards it.
Understanding of Business – Understanding Business, the Target Market, strengths and weaknesses of the company, and the market are what savvy business owners do.
Communication Skills – All businesses require excellent communication skills- the ability to market, sell, work with vendors, promote, write, and speak are necessary for business owners.
Types of Entrepreneurs
There are many types of Entrepreneurs with different abilities and personalities:
Builders- work to create big biz fast ($5M in a few years that will expand to $100 mil and beyond)
Opportunist– seeks opportunity, grows biz during the height of opportunity, and exits before the opportunity busts
Innovators are those rare individuals that come up with a great idea or product that no one has thought of before. They care more about the influence than the money
Specialists are analytical and risk-averse, building their businesses through networking and relationship building. This usually results in slower growth than for the builder.
What’s this Have to Do with High School?
7 Reasons your Homeschooler Must Study Entrepreneurship
Our kids are going to live and work in the Gig Economy, many of them will be going from gig to gig, and they’ll need to know how to market themselves, manage their own finances and taxes, sell, find new opportunities, and more!
Having an understanding of the framework of business allows for flexibility and adaptability. Most businesses, regardless of their industry or niche, or organized in a similar manner. Understanding the structure of business allows our kids to apply that to whatever circumstance or opportunity they find themselves in.
Failure is an important aspect of success. By now, we all know the famous Thomas Edison quote, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” Entrepreneurship develops the ultimate growth mindset!
Through Entrepreneurship, kids learn the 4 C’s of Education
Communication – this is a critical component of any successful entrepreneurial endeavor, as you must communicate with fellow workers, customers, and vendors. This is one of the most important job skills your kids can develop.
Critical thinking – by definition, Entrepreneurs must think critically as they assess their market, set pricing, set up and close sales, negotiate, and so much more!
Creativity– is there anything MORE creative than developing a business? You’re creating something from nothing, and that’s pretty awesome.
Collaboration- Entrepreneurship means finding people you can trust, setting good and clear boundaries, and working with people in a variety of ways, and with the emerging global economy,
Develops Work Ethic – Entrepreneurship will develop those work ethics muscles in ways that little else will.
Develops resiliency
Develops growth mindset for an uncertain future._87 million jobs are going to be lost while 97 million new jobs will emerge
Not sure where to start? Check out our Entrepreneurship Class! And don’t forget to check out our other marketable life skills classes, such as Video Editing, Computer Science, Computer Illustration, Canva, Photoshop and Photography, and Digital Tech.
High school students thrive with our creative, interactive online classes. They get feedback and fellowship from the other students as well as the guidance of their teacher. True North Homeschool Academy offers core classes and electives that are fully directed and graded so you can feel confident that your teen is being prepared for success in college or career.
The Entrepreneurship Track is designed for the student who has an interest in any of the following:
building a business
managing a business
interested in ways to make extra money
curious about how the business world works
likes the idea of the freedom to own their own business
can envision themselves as a consultant or service-based business
builds pro-types or generates product ideas
Characteristics of budding entrepreneurs:
a keen multi-tasker (might come across as playful and unwilling to pay attention)
in-charge (they find themselves as the leader in situations)
a planner or visionary
flexible and enjoys changing things up
good at making decisions
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
Available Classes
The classes are chosen ala carte, but can be added to a Bundle purchase.
Entrepreneurship (Spring) Computer Science Photography & Digital Tech Video Editing Basic Graphic Design with Canva (FALL) Career Exploration Form & Color Health Grammar & Spelling Writing with Confidence Life Skills 101 Career Exploration Entrepreneurship (Spring) Writing with Confidence Literature at the Movies Level 1 Exploring Journalism Writing Copy that Sells Personal Finance Environmental Science -CLEP prep Astronomy
Even for the naturally tidy parent, the ability to organize your homeschool can feel like a daunting task.
This is so much more than laundry, meals, and getting to ball practice on time. You’ve taken on the immense responsibility of educating your children. Disorganization in your homeschool can leave mom feeling overwhelmed and on the edge of burnout. As bad as that is, there’s more.
Disorganization by Definition
What is disorganization, anyway? You might think organization is cleanliness, but that’s just the fruit of organization.
So, what are we talking about? Disorganization is defined as a “lack of proper planning and control” or “inability to plan one’s affairs or activities efficiently.”
If we apply this definition to homeschooling, it’s easy to get a mental picture. Every homeschool parent has been there. It might look like being late to important events or not being able to find papers, books, curriculum, supplies when you need them. It can make the homeschooling parent look out of control of the situation to outsiders and even her own family.
And does she feel this? She does. The stress of disorganization is real and it can completely derail your homeschool!
How Disorganization Impacts Homeschool Children
Disrupts focus. Disorganization keeps everyone in multitasking mode rather than deep focus mode. This can make study time more challenging.
Disruptive behavior surfaces. This study demonstrates the impact of clutter and disorganization on our children’s brains. Emotionally regulation is impacted.
Embarrassment. When children are small, they don’t show embarrassment the same way an older child might experience embarrassment about their surroundings, but disorganization on our part can be a painful experience for our kids.
Disorganization Impacts the Homeschool Mom, too.
When we homeschool, the truth is our homes are in a perpetual state of looking pretty lived-in. Our kids have Lego projects going on, science experiments on the kitchen table, and don’t even get me started on books!
So, there is a certain amount of clutter we’re likely to live with in this step of our mom journey. But, when it tips over and touches our inability to keep our head on straight (can’t I just have a quiet corner to sip this cup of coffee?), or getting to important places on time (why can’t I find my keys?), or simply finding a pair of matching shoes or socks — it impacts our blood pressure, cortisol, and general mood.
What We Can Do to Organize Our Homeschool
While the idea of getting organized can feel a little scary, it will bless our families in the long run. And you’ll feel relief at being able to relax in your surroundings!
What can we do?
Set up systems in our home that support us.
Make decisions about what is most important in our surroundings.
Create a rhythm of organization in your homeschool.
No need to embrace mom-guilt, take simple steps to start organizing today.
We only know about him because he held the unique and dishonorable distinction of being a thief, and one who was caught at that. He died in disgrace, poverty and agony. He was tortured, crucified and died.
Thieves often come under cover of darkness, in confusion, or perhaps on social media; places where they can easily hide and are rarely called out. And thieves- they can be so compelling. They are often masters of disguise, presenting themselves as one thing all the while working underhandedly to steal and destroy. Thieves are con artists- they are the masters at bait and switch. I would venture that many unwitting, well meaning people have handed over that which further damns the thief to their ultimate demise. Thieves are, by definition jealous people who are not content with their lot in life and perhaps even work to destroy that which they claim they now want or was taken from them.
The well known thief on the cross probably worked under cover of night, or in secrecy, or in a crowd, but died in broad daylight, exposed and disgraced.
We’ve all done it. Shared that juicy tidbit, been outraged by accusations, shocked at what we’ve just heard. In fact, I would venture to say that a good thief- one has honed their craft- is subtle enough to tweak the facts just so, so that the we see a bit of truth in the claims, “Ah yes, I always knew he was demanding- I see how he’s a bully,” But few – if any of us- actually go to the person who is the true victim of thief’s crime to seek truth. Reacting to a claim takes little from us. Acting as a Chrsitian takes everything.
But let’s be honest, we are all thieves. Each one of us. We’ve all claimed what wasn’t ours, been jealous and petty, said a little – or big lie- to justify our own sin. Projected onto others so that we are not discovered. We’ve all taken something precious and destroyed it. We’ve all defiled the purity and holiness of the Living God; stolen from others and bankrupt them; stolen from ourselves and defiled what and who are called to do and be.
We are all thieves, hanging on the cross- disgraced, found out, naked and exposed.
Some of us proudly jut out our chins and die, sealing our fate. Others of us accept the free give of mercy and salvation and recognize that the man in the middle holds the power of life and death with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. His arms- stretched out on the cross- nailed there in humiliation – have the power of life and death, hell or resurrection.
We are all thieves. And we can all look to the Man in the middle. It’s not too late- whether we are successful in our thieving or exposed. Either way, the Living Christ is the truth holder and knows of our disgrace, death, corruption, jealousy, bitterness and hate.
The one hanging there is the middle- HE is the Living Christ. He offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe. He has raised the dead to life- each one of us- dead in our transgressions, if you only look to Him and believe! Alleluia!
Homeschooling takes work. If you’re wondering if you could possibly work and homeschool, yes- you can be a working homeschool mom!
Know Your Working Homeschool Mom Limits
Limits are a good thing. They work as boundaries to keep you from overwhelm. To understand your limits and set your boundaries, ask yourself the following questions:
Am I practicing good self-care?
Do I choose foods that nourish my body?
Would meal-prepping work for me or add extra stress?
Do I have any “tells” that help me know when I’m approaching overwhelm?
Am I losing my temper with my friends, family, or work associates?
Do I need a certain amount of time in the morning to myself before I’m on for the day?
Do I need a regular bedtime to support what I need to do each day?
Am I allowing for enough off-time or playtime?
Can I set boundaries for myself that I can provide to others and easily enforce?
What are my employer’s expectations?
Allowing yourself the grace to say “yes” when you mean yes, and “no” when you mean no will provide you with a filter for creating limits.
Set Your Work Goals
With work comes expectations. What does your employer expect from you? If you work from home, what do your clients expect of you? What do you expect of yourself? What are your goals?
Adding to your own limits, note the following:
What are my work hours?
Do I have any nights or evenings I’m expected to work?
Can I leave my work at work or will I be expected to work from home?
Do I have help with my kids while I’m at work?
Does the person who helps understand my homeschool plan?
Make Your Homeschool Plan
If you’re not sure where to start, I just want to say from the get-go, do not overwhelm yourself with this. Keep it simple.
If you can come up with 5 key things per student you’d like to cover for the year, you’ve got a solid big picture. You can add to the big picture in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you or your helper if you have one.
Things to consider:
Where are we starting? How did we end the school year last year?
What are the ages and grade levels of my students?
What are the courses I would be comfortable teaching or delegated?
What is my worldview? How does that weight my homeschooling choices?
How many children am I homeschooling?
Do we have to have traditional homeschool hours or do we have some flexibility with that?
Do I have a homeschool method I’m committed to?
Just Get Started Homeschooling
The hardest thing to do is to just get started. Pick one subject, one goal, and just go for it.
We can help.
Need a like-minded tribe to journey with? Our Parent Equipping Membership is a great place to start and our Getting Started Homeschool Printable Planning packet was created to help you create a plan, write out your goals, and your vision while keeping your home and students on track. Download it free.
I know, you are so ready for a summer break. Sleeping in, swimming, camping, and vacation. I hear you. I’m just as ready as you are. But, I also remember just how hard it was to get back into the swing of things with homeschooling come Back-to-School time. So, this year (Home) School is in for summer!
There are tons of really good reasons to homeschool year-round, but today I’m going to share what I think are 5 great reasons to homeschool over the summer. Let’s dive in! 😉
1. Choosing to homeschool this summer gives you the freedom to break at other times.
Embracing the summer as a time of learning can let you flex when things come up during the year. And they do come up, don’t they? Someone gets sick, family visits, you travel during the holidays. Summer learning affords you the freedom to break when you need to without feeling behind or guilty. You set the pace.
2. Summer homeschool can help prevent that “summer slide” we hear about.
Studies show that 20% of school year reading gains and up to 27% of school year math gains are lost in the traditional summer break. For the homeschooling parent, summer homeschool isn’t just about something to do over the summer, it’s part of the big picture of learning. We don’t want to have to start the year on the struggle bus, playing catch-up.
3. Baby, it’s hot outside.
I know, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if your kids were anything like mine, that heat can be just as disrputive as a snow day. The heat makes kids lithargic. They tend to gravitate towards the air conditioning and often times a screen. Why not capture the screen time for learning?
4. Master a new skill.
Often times our school year is packed. We’re focused on the essentials and it’s hard to fit in a purely interest-based class. It might be time to learn a new language, master the math we’ll need for Chemistry next year, or hone our essay writing techniques. Even preparing for next year with a class on Study Skills can give a real advantage.
5. Getting a preview of coming attractions.
Summer classes at True North Homeschool Academy are a great way to preview how the classes work in the fall. Our classes are particularly designed to support our full year classes. Students will meet fellow True North Homeschool Academy students, learn from one of our world class teachers and learn to navigate our online campus!
We’re here to support your homeschooling choices, happy to answer your questions, and provide you with an educational option that helps lead your kids True North. We’d love to see you this summer!
Bundle Your Summer Classes & Save!
Summer Bootcamp Bundle allows you to choose 3 Summer Classes for 20% off over ala carte classes!
Choose from fourteen Summer Classes that will build students academic skills, setting them up for future academic success! Our classes are particularly designed to support our full year classes. Students will meet fellow True North Homeschool Academy students, learn from one of our world class teachers and learn to navigate our online campus! Choose from the following:
