Our Program
Our Program
YEP! is a free entrepreneurship education program for high school students from under-resourced schools, hosted at universities globally.
YEP! strives to expose high school students to university campuses, real-world opportunities, and lifelong mentorship.
Our mission is to:
Develop the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Grow our participants confidence.
Expose our students to university campuses and professional opportunities.
Our mission is to:
Develop the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Grow our participants confidence.
Expose our students to university campuses and professional opportunities.
Our History
THE START OF AN ERA
In 2019, three Brown University students: Audrey Shapiro, Lucia Winton, and Leah Lam founded YEP! to address strained town-gown relations and the lack of entrepreneurial opportunities for high-schoolers.
EXPANSION
After working with over high school students in Providence, YEP! launched its first external chapter at Yale. In 2023, YEP! expanded to the West Coast and internationally, opening chapters at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and the University of New South Wales.
DEVELOPMENTS
Over the past three years, YEP! has worked with over 270 students from Providence, New Haven, Berkeley, and Los Angeles. Through partnering with New Hytes, a New Haven chapter of the USTA Foundation, we also were able to expand our programming to middle school students.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The YEP! timeline continues to unfold, promising fresh opportunities and unique experiences for aspiring entrepreneurs. Get ready for the next chapter with us!
Our Curriculum
For the first hour of the program, students learn about a new entrepreneurial skill. These skills allow our students to develop a clear process for how to turn an idea into a venture. In order to ensure that students are receiving expert knowledge and growing their networks, YEP! brings in weekly guest speakers. These guest speakers include local entrepreneurs, professors, and students experts.
At YEP!, we believe that entrepreneurship must be learned by doing. For the second hour of the program, students work to apply this skill to an entrepreneurial endeavor they develop over the course of the program. YEP! culminates in a pitch night where students are able to pitch to university faculty, students, entrepreneurs, friends, and family.
At YEP!, participant collaboration is just the beginning. The presence of passionate guest speakers who generously share invaluable insights from their experiences as seasoned entrepreneurs further enrich the education YEP! students receive.
What our programming looks like...
Welcome to an exciting journey of innovation and entrepreneurship with YEP! - the Young Entrepreneurs Program. Our Welcome Day marks the beginning of a transformative experience for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The program typically ranges from 5-7 weeks. When the program is in session, students will meet weekly for two hour sessions where they will learn key entrepreneurial skills and develop their ventures.
Pitch Night is the culmination of months of hard work and dedication by YEP! students in bringing their entrepreneurial visions to life. Join us for an inspiring evening as our talented participants take the stage to showcase their semester-long projects!