As part of its celebration of RI’s Young Entrepreneurs’ Day, the MET School (Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical School) held a grand opening for its new Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, becoming the first public high school in the country to dedicate a free standing building to Student Entrepreneurship.
The 3,600-square foot Center will provide a new course of study in which students write business plans and then present them to potential funders. The classes which help students learn math, financial literacy and other skills needed to run a business are part of the Learning Through Interest (LTI) concept which is at the center of the MET curriculum. To help launch the Center, the Hasbro Charitable Trust is sponsoring an eight week Change Accelerator for Youth. Led by Social Venture Partners RI, the Accelerator will consist of workshops for youth interested in learning about a specific aspect of running or growing their own social ventures. In addition to the workshops, the seven Hasbro Change Accelerator Fellows will take part in weekly mentoring sessions and and receive a $1000 grant to start their businesses.
The celebration also included an impressive showcase of 14 student-run businesses established through the MET’s entrepreneurship program and a keynote address by entrepreneur Scott Case, CEO of the Startup America Partnership and former founding CTO at Priceline.
The MET is a network of six small, public high schools located in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island. With high standards and strong family engagement, the MET’s individualized learning approach has proven successful in unlocking students’ passion for learning. The MET empowers its students to take charge of their learning, to become responsible citizens and life-long learners. The hallmarks of a MET education include internships, individual learning plans, advisory, and a breakthrough college transition program.