During the professional development session, teachers within the district were pushed to think outside of the box through a variety of entrepreneurial activities. The kick-off activity focused on idea generation, where teachers collaborated to brainstorm and present different uses for ordinary objects. This product development activity showcased a wide variety of innovative solutions that produced a fun and energetic atmosphere which could be easily transferred into any K-12 classroom. The training provided teachers with an overview of the design thinking process and how it improves student engagement within the classroom. The design thinking model naturally fits with any entrepreneurial idea because it can move a problem through a structured process that can produce a variety of innovative solutions. Participants in the training learned the value of combining these two models to move students beyond engagement within a lesson to feeling empowered within their own educational journey. This is the paradigm shift that Gateway Regional School District wants to achieve within their entrepreneurial initiative.

The EntreEd training was a huge success. To close out the session, teachers were tasked to create an entrepreneurial lesson for their own classroom. Teachers collaborated to produce a wide variety of effective lessons across all subjects and grades that showcased entrepreneurial skills. Teachers quickly realized that they didn’t have to create new entrepreneurial lessons from scratch, but merely modify an existing lesson they already implement in their classroom. The Gateway Regional School District is committed to each school earning an America’s Entrepreneurial School designation. With EntreEd and The EdVenture Group’s support, they are on the right path to achieving this goal. We’re looking forward to getting back to New Jersey and seeing what they have accomplished!

For more information on bringing EntreEd and America’s Entrepreneurial Schools to your classroom, visit www.entre-ed.org today.