Entrepreneurship at Aspen Academy
Empowering Visionary leaders through entrepreneurship.
At Aspen Academy, we believe in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset that empowers students to translate innovative ideas into real-world success. While not all may pursue entrepreneurship as a career path, our focus lies in nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit applicable to problem-solving, creativity, and project leadership endeavors.
Comprehensive entrepreneurial curriculum
Our LiFE (Leadership, Finance, and Entrepreneurship) program is designed to foster a mindset ready to tackle the modern world's challenges:
● Entrepreneurial Mindset & Execution: Students learn to turn challenges into opportunities and ideas into actions.
● Critical & Creative Thinking: We emphasize innovative problem-solving that pushes beyond the conventional.
● Opportunity Identification: Training students to spot and seize opportunities in challenges.
● Resilience and Work Ethic: Encouraging perseverance, tenacity, and a capacity to withstand setbacks
dynamic programmatic offerings
Entrepreneurs Expo
Annually, students from Pre-K through 8th grade develop and launch businesses, showcasing their creativity and business acumen. Each grade level collaborates as a team, navigating the entire entrepreneurial process—from ideation and determining product-market fit to the development of their products. This collaborative process peaks at the Entrepreneurs Expo, one of the most energetic and inspiring events on our campus.
Bear's Student enterprises
By 7th grade, students gain firsthand experience in business operations and training by participating in one of several Bear Student Enterprises (BSE) cohorts. These cohorts cover a range of functions from marketing to product design, in-store sales, and customer service. Under the vision and guidance of the BSE Executive Team—which is composed of students selected and identified by their peers—students oversee and manage their specific cohort's responsibilities, honing their entrepreneurial skills in a real-world context.
8th grade business capstone
As 8th graders culminate their school journey at Aspen Academy, they engage in a final comprehensive entrepreneurial experience of their own. Over the course of a semester, students receive weekly mentoring from entrepreneurs and business owners within Aspen’s community who guide them through business ideation and execution, culminating in our annual Shark Tank competition. The guidance provided by our mentors helps students tap into their accumulated knowledge and skills in a supportive yet challenging environment, ensuring a richly rewarding entrepreneurial experience that combines real-world practice with expert mentorship.
Future-Ready Skills
Our curriculum incorporates essential durable skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership, ensuring our students are well-prepared for the demands of tomorrow's economy. We also emphasize the importance of ethical decision-making and social responsibility, preparing students to use their entrepreneurial skills for the greater good.
Community and Mentorship
We leverage a strong network of community leaders, alumni, and business professionals who mentor our students, offering insights and real-world challenges that enhance the learning experience. This community involvement ensures our students not only learn about entrepreneurship but live it through actual interactions and feedback from successful practitioners.
Continuous Innovation and Evaluation
Our curriculum is regularly updated to reflect the best practices in entrepreneurial education, ensuring it remains dynamic and relevant. Through annual evaluations and consistent feedback loops with educators and students, we adapt and evolve our offerings to meet the highest educational standards.
