Sixty students representing high schools from the Bronx to Bridgeport gathered recently at UConn Stamford in a test of entrepreneurial skills as part of the World Series of Innovation.
The event was run by the Fairchester Chapter of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), based in New York City. Besides the Fairchester Chapter, sponsors included Stamford-based Pitney Bowes and Microsoft Corp.
“Students learn about working together in teams,” said Diane Rosenthal, executive director of the NFTE Fairchester Chapter. “These students can be looked upon as innovators for change in our society. Corporations are reaching out to youth leaders to come up with new ideas to address and solve world issues.”
Asked if the student entrepreneurial efforts bear fruit, Rosenthal said, “Yes they do and that”™s what NFTE is all about ”” tapping into the power, creativity and energy of youth to give them the tools to answer challenges through entrepreneurship.” Event challenges included problem sets in education, environment and education.
Volunteers from the community, General Electric, Pitney Bowes and Larry Keller, a teacher at the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering in Stamford (and also a NFTE teacher), assisted the students.
The students will now submit their problem solutions for judging, whereon they will be eligible for the national-level NFTE competition. Last year, the Fairchester Chapter produced two national winners.
