July 31, 2009

Youngsters get entrepreneurship lessons through Purdue Research Park program

The second annual Just Us Entrepreneurs program helped participants produce, price, advertise and sell items as part of creating their own businesses. The weeklong program for children ages 6-12 is jointly offered by the Purdue Research Park and Nancy Justice, owner of Just Us Kids Inc. childcare center. The event took place at the Herman and Heddy Kurz Purdue Technology Center, which is part of the Purdue Research Park where more than 160 new and expanding companies are based.

"Young people naturally have an interest in being entrepreneurs, offering services like lawn care, babysitting and snow shoveling," said Timothy Peoples, director of the Purdue Research Park Entrepreneurship Academy. "Just Us Entrepreneurs provides them with knowledge of how to run a business and the experience of doing so in a fun, supportive environment."

Sharon Owens, artist and instructor at Inspired Fire Glass Studio & Gallery in Lafayette, Ind., spoke with participants on Tuesday (July 28) about how she began her glasswork studio and business.

"It takes creativity to make items to sell. The creative process always is fun," Owens said. "But business owners also must have strong skills in math, science and English to make their business work. They have to balance both, and the participants at Just Us Entrepreneurs learned that this week."

The program ended Friday (July 31) with an awards luncheon that recognized the youngsters' participation in the program and the first dollar they earned.

About Purdue Research Park

The 725-acre Purdue Research Park (https://www.purdueresearchpark.com) has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park is home to more than 157 companies. About 100 of these firms are technology-related and another 39 are incubator businesses. The park is owned and managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation created to assist Purdue University in the area of economic development. In addition to the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, the foundation has established technology parks in other locations around Indiana including Merrillville, New Albany and Indianapolis.

To the Purdue Research Park, https://www.purdueresearchpark.com

Purdue Research Park contact:
Steve Martin, (765) 588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org

Sources:
Sharon Owens, (765) 474-1981, inspiredfire@aol.com

Timothy Peoples, (765) 588-3365, trpeoples@prf.org