Reagan Business Incubator is a program by Uncharted Learning, a 501c3 not for profit organization providing authentic, collaborative learning experiences for elementary, middle, and high school students. The Reagan Business Incubator program provides the curriculum for entrepreneurship classes, as well as training for teachers and community partners who serve as mentors to students Reagan Business Incubator’s key points of distinction, include:
- Blend of Lean Startup process with foundational business topics
- Authentic, real-world learning
- Hands-on problem solving
- Team teaching with classroom teachers, coaches, and mentors
- Ongoing professional development for classroom teachers and volunteers
Students Learn By Doing
Over the course of two semesters, students develop a business model canvas, gain market input on a minimum viable product, and continually revise all elements to improve their business model.
Students acquire foundational business concepts, then apply those concepts to the team’s new business idea. From concept to Minimum Viable Product to pitch, students are hypothesizing, testing, adapting and learning. Importantly, they work and learn in teams.
The Reagan Business Incubator offers a unique atmosphere, unlike “normal school.”
Student Takeaways
- adaptability
- collaboration
- critical thinking
- creativity
- problem-solving
- organization
- time management
- communication
- passion
- self-discipline
Entrepreneurship & Enterprise
The businesses students build are real – they are not business cases or simulated experiences – which means students experience mistakes, take risks, and learn to pivot based on market needs.
Over the course of the year, student teams learn about marketing, accounting, as well as the legal aspects of starting a business. They have access to a network of professionals to further develop their skills for college and career readiness.
Pitch Week helps to further fire the entrepreneurial spirit by putting student teams in front of actual investors so they can pitch their innovative idea to win funding and turn their wishful thinking into a reality.
