Southern Mississippi Youth Entrepreneurship Program (SMYEP)

The world is changing, and our youth need options. SMYEP partners local higher-education, community leaders, and high schools in an iniatitive to educate regional high-school youth in entrepreneurship. We are taking a stab at the difficult stats facing our youth today, and giving them another option to accomplish their dreams.

Goals for our SMYEP students:
1. Learn business basics
2. Learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur
3. Work with a local mentor to develop a personal plan
4. Stay in our region. Providing opportunities for youth to build futures locally will reduce
    regional brain drain.

View Pictures from SMYEP Retreat #1

Partners: Jones County Junior College, The University of Southern Mississippi, the Small Business Assistance Center, the Area Development Partnership, Hattiesburg High School, Petal High School, Laurel High school, and Gulfport High School.

For more information or to get involved, contact Dr. Brent Hales.

Did you know?

Seventy percent of eighth graders are not proficient in reading—and most will never catch up.

Every year, more than 1.2 million students drop out of high school.

Many of those who do graduate are not ready for college, for the workplace, and for life.

Source: EDin08