Institution:
 
Tennessee State University

Title:

Dreamers of Ideas . . . Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (A Self-Employment Educational Project for Underserved Adults and Youth in Selected Rural Counties in Tennessee and Mississippi)

Target Audience:

Underserved Adults and Youth in Selected Rural Counties in Tennessee and Mississippi
Funding Source(s):
USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Services and Tennessee State University
Program Description:
The goal of the program is to address the following issues affecting limited-resource groups in starting a small business: lack of access to working capital; lack of collateral and sound credit history; and the lack of entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, information and management skills and experience to succeed in the competitive business market. These issues and others will be addressed in the program, while focusing on helping individuals to develop skills for permanent and self-employment. Long-term outcomes will be to increase employment, income and quality of living in selected rural counties.
Basic Leadership Skills:
Level:
Basic to advanced
Program Support Material/Resources:
The program is supported with an entrepreneur business development curriculum that was adapted from the “Cashing in on Business Opportunities Curriculum.” The entrepreneur curriculum has lesson plans with activities, along with Power Point presentations implementation. The following PP presentations listed below are available.
-Workforce – Entrepreneur Alternative 1
-Starting A Business 1
-Business Plan 1
-Forecasting Sales & Pricing
-Writing Market Plans
Impact Highlights:
Established a coalition consisting of members from Cooperative Extension and local agencies, community leaders and representatives from Tennessee and Mississippi, to provide guidance and implementation in participating counties. Funds from the project’s grant have provided operating funds to counties to teach train-the-trainer business development workshops in the affected counties. Representatives from eight counties in Tennessee and Mississippi have received business-development training and have scheduled business workshops in their respective counties.
Program Contact:

Angela Sanders-Mayers, Extension Assistant Professor and Interim DL Education Coordinator for Extension, Cooperative Extension Program, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209-1561, Phone: (615) 963-5545 Fax: (615) 963-1840 E-mail: amayers@tnstate.edu