Struck With Inspiration
Getting kids fired up about franchising
When you were in high school, what did you want to be? An
astronaut? A ballerina? How about a franchisee? Thanks to a grant
from the PepsiCo Foundation, the International Franchise
Association is creating the Franchising Entrepreneurship Program to
teach inner-city and minority students about opportunities in
franchising.
"The idea is to target urban youth, mainly minorities, to
develop education and training programs that teach entrepreneurial
skills, drawing on franchising business methods and
experiences," explains John Reynolds, president of the
IFA's Educational Foundation, the implementor of the new
program.
Working with community organizations like Distributive Education
Clubs of America (DECA), the IFA will incorporate franchise
curricula into existing programs. "The first stage is like a
pilot program, in which we cooperate with other organizations
already working with high school kids in the community. We want to
tap their expertise, to develop educational programs and
curricula," Reynolds says.
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After learning about franchising through both in-class and
after-school training, participants can then gain real-world
business experience as interns in either corporate or franchise
locations.
Though the program is still in the planning stages, with a
scheduled spring launch, those involved already have high hopes.
"The next Ray Kroc may be out there, just waiting for the
right opportunity for someone to say, ‘Here's the way you
do it.' " says Reynolds. "This is a way to invest in
young people who have the potential to be future entrepreneurs and
contribute to society."
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