Make A Job: Future Young Entrepreneurs Conference Big Success

On August 7, 2008, the Teen In Business team hosted the Make A Job: Future Young Entrepreneurs Conference, with 89 youth attending. The conference provided youth with business resources, kids workshop, business contests, business display expos, and entertainment. Younger youth participated in the Kids Penny Save workshop were they learned various ways to save money. Each youth received a savings book and piggy bank. The Teen Making Cash Display Expo had a variety of business display setups for attendees to view. They provided sample of business products and information about starting businesses such as food and concession stands, designer balloon businesses, photography businesses, as well as entertainment businesses.

The Entertainment and Business panel included David Cherry, Director of "Chicago All Star" ; Patricia Johnson, Executive Director of Odyssey Emblem Theatre; Tanikka Mitchell, manager of Tru Production; and Brenetta Howell Barrett, Executive Director, of Pathfinder Prevention Education Fund.

The keynote speaker was 16 year old Michael Willis, the Executive Director of the Austin Charger Football and Cheer nonprofit organization. Michael spoke of his reasons for starting his football organization in Columbus Park of the Austin Community. He said, " There were a lot younger youth who wanted to play football, but were not able because of their ages." He wanted to start a football team for them. The Austin Charger Football and Cheer organization teaches the basic fundamentals of football including life skills to youth between the ages of 5 to 18 years old. Michael Willis is a former youth intern at Prevention Force Family Center.

Datkins Clark, the business owner of Clark Music Production company won the young entrepreneurs business plan contest. Clark Music Production company provides a variety of services for young entertainers including DJ services. Datkins is a junior attending Michelle Clark High School. He is a member of Teen In Business Young Entrepreneurs Business Network.

The conference ended with the Get Success fashion show and entertainment from young entertainers such as Rachel Walker, Danetrice Richardson, Praise Dance team, and the Get Success fashion show from the Teen-N-Talent-Shirt Design Club.

Prevention Force Family Center helping Young Entrepreneurs and Youth

Prevention Force Family Center is a place that helps young entrepreneurs, and youth fulfill their dream of starting their own businesses, and creating their own jobs by using their talents, skills, hobbies, interest, and experiences. The programs provide youth with business resources, technical assistance support, business software, consulting services, business training, and grantwriting workshops.

Prevention Force Family Center is 501*3 nonprofit community based organization that established the Teen In Business programs in 2005 to teach youth and young entrepreneurs about entrepreneurship, how to start a business, and create their own jobs. The Teen In Business programs have been providing employment and business opportunities for teens to earn wages while do something with their lives. The program has entrepreneurial opportunities such as the Teen-N-Talent T-shirt Design Club, I Dare to Dream Kids Garden Club, Teen Web Design Club, Teen Digital Photography Club, grantwriting, and community projects at the agency.

Since 2005, the Teen In Business program has trained/instructed youth and young entrepreneurs in how to start snowball stand, lemonade stand, nacho stand, T-shirt design, web design, jewelry, and photo businesses. They have assisted high school students between the ages of 14 to 18 years old in starting their own businesses in their community. Michael Willis, Executive Director of Chicago Charger Football nonprofit organization, Jeremiah Jordan, business owner of Jordan Maid Services, Datkins Clark and Rachel Walker, business owners of Clark Production Company.

Summer Youth Business Camp

The Prevention Force Family Center worked with 14 young people between the ages 13 to 18 years old this summer. The youth were hired to work with other youth participating in the Summer Youth Business Camp program. The programs included were the Hip Hop Dance Club, Junior Digital Photographer, The Teen-N- Talent Design Club, Make A Job: Future Entrepreneur Team, North Lawndale Friends of Library I Dare to Dream Garden Club and I Dare to Dream Club at varies sites.

The youth workers were trained in the clerical field. They also learned basic job skills that included completing time sheets, work schedules, working with office machines, and learning company policies. They learned how to properly introduce themselves, and explain who they were to others. The workers participated in planning and organizing summer community activities at Douglass Library Branch, Fifth City organization, and North Lawndale Friends of Library . The youth workers attended staff meeting every day and worked on team community projects. In additional, they learned about saving accounts and banking services from a Washington Mutual bank employee. Some of the young people opened a saving account at Washington Mutual Bank.



The youth workers visited Hamburger University(McDonald Training Center) in Oak Brook, Illinois. They were able to learn about the history of McDonald Corporation, and the training that the university offered to restaurant managers, mid-managers, and Executives. Many of the youth had been interested in working at the McDonald Restaurant's in their community, but after touring the university they became interested opening a franchise, and
working at a local McDonalds.

2007 Teen In Business Youth Team

The Teen In Business Development Club was establishedy by Prevention Force Family Center in 2006. Teen In Business Development Club which is a youth-led entrepreneurial leadership training program is designed for youth to train other youth in starting and operating a youth business club in their schools, neighborhoods, churches, block clubs, and youth centers.

The TIB youth team are Michael Willis, Reynaldo Barnery, and Kevin Stringer. The team was involved with a series of technical assistance services such as business workshops, and individual training on club recruitment and management, marketing, grantwriting, and fundraising planning. The youth gave presentations about their personal experiences in the business field. The team provided a variety of technical assistance services and training to other youth in the Teen In business Club program. In addition, the team conducted five local entrepreneurial workshops at the ABC Youth Club, Douglass Library Branch, St. Agatha Family Empowerment, Joseph Kellman Corporation School, and Better Boys Foundation . Over 70 youth participated in the entrepreneurial workshops.

The Teen In Business Team Awarded the Crib Collective Grant

The youth team was awarded the Crib Collective Grant to implement youth programs such as the the Make A Job: Future Entrepreneurs team, I Dare to Dream Garden, and the Penny Saver program in the North Lawndale community. The youth were able to network and collobrate with other youth from the North Lawndale Friends of Library, and the Creative Concepts Development organization to implement these programs.

2007 Youth Entrepreneurship Conference

The Prevention Force Family Center Teen In Business youth team attended the 2007 Youth Entrepreneurship Conference in May 2007. The youth team includes Kevin Stringer, Reynaldo Barney and Michael Willis. Also, Mrs. Sandra Glenn, Executive Director of Prevention Force Family Center attended the conference with the team.

The 2007 Youth Entrepreneurship Conference provides youth the opportunity to explore the field of entrepreneurship by participating in the business skills workshops, a youth business expo, and business competitions. The youth networked with other young entrepreneurs and adults from other areas such as Atlanta, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Dallas, Texas, as well as Chicago. The youth received entrepreneurial and business resources from the college and university representatives. Theywere able to speak with representatives of the entertainment, technology, clothing, restaurant and service industries.

The youth team went beyond the goals of the program, and accomplished so much in the program. Michael entered into the Jump start Grant Competition at the conference and won a grant for his business ideas to start a football program for younger children. With that grant, he incorporated the Chargers Football League nonprofit organization. Michael has 20 youngsters enrolled in the Chargers Football summer camp. He also held his first board meeting in June 2007.

Kevin applied for the Children Youth Services Mini Summer Grant to teach younger children hip hop dancing in the North Lawndale community. He received the grant and is teaching ten youths hip hop dance routines to perform at the Hip Hop Talent/Fashion Show and the Youth Summer Business Camp Luncheon. Reynaldo is starting a DJ business in the North Lawndale area.

In addition, the TIB team created a Video of the 2007 Youth Entrepreneurship Conference and presented it at local youth organizations in the North Lawndale community.xemmlvs