JA program to encourage local girls to be entrepreneurial

PERRY COUNTY – Thanks to the Perry County Women for Women Fund, Perry Central Community Schools and the Tell City-Troy Township School Corp. are partnering with Junior Achievement of Perry County to offer the Empowering Girls to Be Entrepreneurial after school program.
This program is designed to educate girls about entrepreneurship – starting your own business in hope of earning a profit – and the skills and characteristics needed to be a successful entrepreneur.
Empowering Girls to Be Entrepreneurial will be offered for girls in grades 5-12 and broken into middle school (grades 5-8) and high school (grades 9-12) programs. A middle school and high school program will each be offered at each location (Perry Central Schools and Tell City Junior-Senior High School).
The middle school program will consist of 8 JA sessions and the high school program will consist of 12 JA sessions.
Here are the program dates and times:
· Tell City Middle School Program –Thursdays, Jan. 19, 26, Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, March 1 and 8. Each session will take place from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.
· Perry Central Middle School Program – Wednesdays, Jan. 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and March 4. Each session will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
· Tell City High School Program – Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jan. 31, Feb. 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, March 1, 6 and 8. Each session will take place from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.
· Perry Central High School Program – Mondays and Wednesdays, Jan. 25, 30, Feb. 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 22, 27, 29, March 5 and 7. Each session will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Program size is limited to up to 24 students per location. Throughout the program, the girls will learn how to select a product or service, learn about markets this product or service and develop a functional business plan.
Along the way, the participating girls will hear true stories of current successful products and services and how their idea came to be.
In April, the girls will have the opportunity to submit their finalized business plan to be reviewed and judges by a panel of local entrepreneurs and business leaders.
A winning business plan will be selected from each of the four site locations. Each winner will receive between $500 and $750 as seed capital to launch her business venture.
To apply for the programs, eligible girls can pick up an application at Perry Central or Tell City junior-senior high schools, the Perry County Public Library, the Perry County Chamber of Commerce office or download one at http://westernky.ja.org.
After completing the application and parent-guardian permission form, students need to submit the materials to either of the schools or the Perry County Chamber of Commerce office. They may also be mailed to the chamber office, P.O. Box 82, 601 Main St., Suite A, Tell City, IN 47586. They can also be faxed to 547-8378.
Application deadline is Dec. 9. Students will be notified the week of Dec. 19 with confirmation of their acceptance into the program and additional details.
For more information, contact Cheri Taylor, Perry County Program Coordinator, at 547-2385 or perrychamber@psci.net, or LeAnne Shockley, program director of JA of West Kentucky, at (270) 684-7291 or leanne.shockley@ja.org.