Seeds of Success : Entrepreneurship and Youth - Hardcover

Kourilsky, Marilyn L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0787258288 ISBN 13: 9780787258283

Publisher: Kendall Hunt Pub Co, 1999

Synopsis

Seven in 10 teenagers say they are interested in starting a business of their own. Co-authors William B. Walstad and Marilyn L. Kourilsky report on findings from four major national Gallup surveys commissioned by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in their new book, Seeds of Success: Entrepreneurship and Youth.

Because entrepreneurship is a significant contributor to the welfare of individuals and their communities beyond providing new employment opportunities and an expanded tax base, the co-authors of Seeds of Success sought to explore the entrepreneurial understanding and aspirations of today’s teenagers, the primary pool for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial thinkers.

This investigation includes administering a survey to 1,008 teenagers ages 14 to 19 years old. In addition, the same survey was administered to three adult groups providing a basis for comparison. These adult groups include the general public, a sample of teachers in public and private schools teaching grades 1-12 in the United States, and small business owners.

Six major findings from the surveys include:

1.Entrepreneurial interest among youth in the United States is strong. The primary reason for wanting to start a business was to “be your own boss and control your life.”

2.Youth held positive opinions about small business compared to large corporations. If given a choice, a majority of youth (as well as most of the general public and most teachers ) would rather be the owner of a small business than the manager of a large corporation.

3.There were many deficiencies in the knowledge of youth about entrepreneurship, business and economics.

4.Many youth felt there is too much regulation and taxation of business by government.

5.Youth showed a lack of knowledge of the relationship between entrepreneurship and the community.

6.More than three-fourths of the youth felt it was very important or important for the nation’s schools to teach more about entrepreneurhsip and starting a business.

Because youth interest in entrepreneurship is overwhelmingly positive, authors Walstad and Kourilsky strongly encourage schools to take a closer look at curricula in response to the demand for entrepreneurship education by youth, teachers, the general public and the business community.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Marilyn Kourilsky currently serves as Chief Education Advisor for the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. As an expert in both entrepreneurship and education, she has pursued internationally acclaimed research in youth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, economic education and learning theory. She has created educational reforms, including the widely acclaimed Mini-Society® and Kinder-Economy programs. Her numerous honors have included the two top UCLA awards for Outstanding Applied Research and for Outstanding Professional Teaching, the EUCLAN Award for Innovation in Teacher Education, The National Freedom Foundation Award for Excellence, the John C. Schramm National Leadership Award and the Henry H. Villard National Research Award in economic education. She has published extensively in scholarly journals and has authored or co-authored 17 books.

Dr. William Walstad is Director of the National Center for Research in Economic Education and John T. and Mable M. Hay Professor of Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author or co-author of several hundred scholarly works on economic education, entrepreneurship education and testing. He currently serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Economic Education. He is also a past recipient of the Henry H. Villard National Research Award in economic education and a Leavey Award of Excellence in Private Enterprise Education.

Review

“At last, confirmation that America’s entrepreneurial future is safe and secure!” -- Dr. Alfred E. Osburne, Jr. Director, The Harold Price Center for Entrepeneurial Studies The Anderson School at the University of California, Los Angeles

“School districts, universities, and the concerned general public will profit by reviewing and understanding the profound implications of Seeds... -- Sandra Gooch Founder, Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Foods Entrepreneur of the Year® award winner

“This book provides insight on our next steps as educators—a must read.” -- Dr. Sheila Carlson Principal, Walnut Elementary School Newbury Park, California

About this edition

• Publisher: Kendall Hunt Pub Co
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0787258288
• ISBN 13: 9780787258283
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 127
• Editor: Walstad William B.