YEA At-a-Glance
What is YEA?
YEA is a business ownership program for at-risk teens. YEA is driven by a singular premise: that teens from all walks of life have innate talents waiting to be discovered. YEA helps teens, ages eleven to twenty-two, to learn critical work-related skills and develop a sense of self-confidence and self-sufficiency, through the hands-on experience of running and owning their own business.
How does the YEA model work?
YEA currently works in partnership with Boston-area vocational high schools, where our student businesses are based. We partner with teachers who serve as content experts and business supervisors, working with their students to build and run the businesses as part of the high school degree program. YEA provides the curriculum, as well as teacher training and ongoing consultation and support. Schools provide the physical space, expert teachers, student academic and social support, and basic administrative assistance. Together, YEA and the school leverage resources, creating a low-cost, high-impact entrepreneurial experience for their teens.
What are some specific business skills that YEA teens learn?
As owners of their business, YEA teens are responsible for every aspect of its operation. YEA starts by teaching them the basic concepts necessary to run a business. Then, we add the hands-on challenge of running a business, and students learn:
- Business Planning - identifying market opportunities, assessing the competition, creating and meeting strategic goals
- Management - running meetings, client communications, meeting deadlines
- Finance - pricing services, projecting revenues, managing budgets, accounts receivable and payable.
- Human Resources - creating employee guidelines, dealing with staffing needs, conflict resolution
- Marketing - business promotion, attracting customers, designing promotional material
- Quality Assurance - maintaining satisfied customers by delivering a quality product
- Professional Business Etiquette - shaking hands, holding a professional conversation, networking, dress, grooming
Where are YEA student businesses currently operating?
YEA currently has five teen businesses operating in Eastern Massachusetts. Click here to learn more about our current sites.
What happens to the teens (and their business) when they graduate?
Each of the businesses are income-generating and have long-term economic viability. Most students begin with YEA in their sophomore year and remain they graduate. In their senior year, they cross-train the juniors for leadership roles. YEA's partner teachers and YEA staff ensure this crucial continuity.
Over 98% of YEA participants have successfully completed high school and over 80% have gone on to college - a rate four times that of their peers! Several YEA alumni are already developing successful careers, and a growing number come back as mentors and consultants to current YEA student businesses.
