Newark Students Participate in Glassroots’ 13th Annual Business Plan Competition and Trade Fair

Thirteen Newark students participated in year-long entrepreneurship programs focused on planning, preparing, marketing and managing a business

 

Students showcased a wide variety of personalized items, including vases, dishes, coasters, jewelry, and paperweights, which were created throughout the school year and available for purchase at the trade fair.

[Newark, NJ — May 24, 2017] — Thirteen high school students across the city of Newark participated in GlassRoots’ 13th Annual Business Plan Competition and Trade Fair on Tuesday, May 23 at the Hahne & Co. building in downtown Newark. Each student presented their custom-made glass artwork as well as an accompanying business plan for marketing and selling their product to a panel of judges and community members.

“Congratulations to our scholars on the growth and success they have displayed throughout this year’s GlassRoots’ entrepreneurship programs,” said NPS Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf. “Each year, the GlassRoots program continues to have a profound impact on Newark high school students, providing them with a special opportunity to explore the field of business and gain the foundational skills that are necessary to develop and run a successful business in today’s competitive economy.”

Over the course of the 2016-2017 academic year, Newark students participated in the GlassRoots Business & Entrepreneurship Program or the GlassRoots FLAME (Focus, Leadership, Arts, Mentoring, Entrepreneurship) Program. The Business and Entrepreneurship Program is dedicated to nurturing and guiding the entrepreneurial spirit, and is modeled after the curriculum from the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an international non-profit organization that introduces youth to the world of entrepreneurship. Throughout the year, students participating in this program received 65 hours of instruction, first concentrated on understanding how to plan, prepare, market and manage a business and then focused on learning glassmaking techniques inside a GlassRoots art studio. Students participating in the Business and Entrepreneurship Program then created personalized products in one of GlassRoots’ glass art studios. Students participating in the GlassRoots FLAME Program were part of a real-world work experience through GlassRoots every Wednesday for five hours throughout the school year, where their weekly work was focused around glassworking and creating glass products.

The GlassRoots Business Plan Competition and Trade Fair marked the culmination of both programs, where each student’s products were available for purchase by the public.

“Education in entrepreneurship benefits students across all socioeconomic backgrounds, teaching children to think outside the box while nurturing unconventional talents and skills,” said Barbara Heisler, Executive Director of GlassRoots. “Through our entrepreneurship programs, our students develop critical leadership, organization, and interpersonal skills that will prepare them for success in higher education and provide them with highly transferable skills sought by today’s employers.”

The following students from across the city of Newark participated in this year’s GlassRoots Business and Entrepreneurship Program:

  • Yaneline Maldonado of Science Park High School
  • Tyshea Johnson-Brandon of Science Park High School
  • Natavia Williams of Arts High School
  • Nadirah Rivers of Newark Tech High School

Nine NPS students from East Side High School were participants in this year’s GlassRoots FLAME Program, including:

  • Deyvi Colon
  • Christopher Cordova
  • Oscar Fernandez
  • Stephanie Gregorio
  • David Martinez
  • Katherine Martinez
  • Stephanie Martins
  • Desteny Noel