WVGSE takes place June 19-July 9 and is an immersive, residential experience in which students develop a business model, build prototypes, and engage potential customers to test assumptions. Students will engage in creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and calculated risk-taking in pursuit of solving a difficult problem.
Along this journey, students can develop lifelong friendships, experience personal growth and development, and become problem centered and customer focused. WVGSE aims to empower students to achieve self-actualization, develop leadership skills, and create and deliver real value to customers.
Building on the previous years, the theme for WVGSE 2022 is IMPACT: Innovating on a meaningful problem using purpose and a positive attitude to impact community through teamwork. Through the curriculum, hands-on activities, and general best practices directed by faculty and coaches, WVGSE promotes a growth mindset and engagement in experimentation for quick learning opportunities.
At the conclusion of the WVGSE experience, students will pitch their new venture concepts on “Demo Day” before a panel of judges, bringing together lessons from inside and outside the classroom. Students will use the best practices of other entrepreneurial ecosystems with particular focus on design thinking for problem identification, customer development and rapid prototyping and testing for valuable feedback.
“Because ‘entrepreneurship’ is both a noun and a verb, we approach the subject as a participation sport,” said Olen York, WVGSE 2022 dean and director of entrepreneurship education at Marshall University’s Lewis College of Business. “As such, WVGSE’s Demo Day is an opportunity for students to show the efforts of their participation as a budding entrepreneur. Through the pitch presentation format, students will get to explain their journey, their lessons learned, and their decision-making related to the problem each is trying to solve. And, at the end of the program, students leave with new and improved tools to use in their professional development that can be applied in most any context.”
The application deadline has been extended to April 15, 2022. Participants are encouraged to begin the application process as soon as possible to avoid any delays.
Students and parents interested in more information about WVGSE 2022 should visit https://govschools.wv.gov/gse/Pages/default.aspx
Students interested in applying for WVGSE 2022 should visit https://govschools.wv.gov/GSE/Pages/howtoapply.aspx
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THE DETAILS
WHAT: West Virginia Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship
WHEN: Sunday, June 19, through Saturday, July 9, 2022
WHERE: Marshall University (Lewis College of Business) | One John Marshall Drive | Huntington, WV | 25755 – c/o Olen York (olen.york@marshall.edu)
WHO: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors who both reside in West Virginia and attend a West Virginia high school may apply until April 15, 2022
CONTACT: Olen York (olen.york@marshall.edu) | Director of Entrepreneurship Education and Dean, West Virginia Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship
Follow WVGSE on social media via the following platforms:
Facebook | @wvgse
Twitter | @wvgse22
Instagram | @wvgse22
TikTok | @wvgse
Snapchat | @wvgse22
YouTube | WVGSE22