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 White Plains, NY – Two students from the Academy of Finance at Lincoln High School in Yonkers were recognized recently as 2008 Global Young Entrepreneurs of the Year by The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), sponsored by The Goldman Sachs Foundation.
The students, Neville Green and Maurine Koranteng, represented the NFTE Fairchester program office and were among 42 designees worldwide. Debbie Ashley, a science teacher who teaches entrepreneurship in the cosmetology department at The Tech Center at Yorktown, was named 2008 Certified Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year. The three Westchester representatives received their awards at NFTE’s 15th Annual Salute to the Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards dinner at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
“Nothing is more rewarding than empowering young people with the belief that they can make a difference in their lives,” said Joel Warren, Executive Director, NFTE Fairchester. “The remarkable results prove that NFTE’s unique entrepreneurial curriculum works and provides a structure for channeling creativity into profits.”
Ms. Koranteng and Mr. Green created a business called Especially Yours, a resume writing service. Prior to launching their business, Koranteng and Green were required to develop an extensive business plan. The pair broke out costs per single resume, created prototypes and sample resumes, and researched to narrow down their target markets. They chose high school seniors who need to submit a resume with their college application and unemployed adults in Yonkers. Academy of Finance teacher Lauren Trager supported the NFTE nomination.
“I plan to continue this business while I study biomedical engineering at City College,” said Neville Green. “I am honored to receive this award and want to thank my teachers, as well as my mother for all the late nights working with me on my project.”
“This project was a terrific learning process that I never expected to turn into a real business,” said Maurine Koranteng. “Our success sets an example for our fellow students of what is possible.”
Ms. Ashley was recognized for her program that assists students in creating a business plan and starting a business. While many students choose cosmetology-related projects, Ashley encourages students to create businesses that they feel passionate about. This is Ashley’s third year teaching the NFTE curriculum.
“I am proud of my students at The Tech Center who put forth a lot of energy, work, and effort, and are excited to be part of the NFTE process,” says Ashley. “I have high expectations for what students can do.”
NFTE, with the financial support of such national sponsors as The Goldman Sachs Foundation, has been working with low-income young people for more than 20 years, teaching students to channel their creativity and turn their hobbies and dreams into viable businesses.
Research shows that NFTE’s program has a strong and positive impact on many of its graduates. A study conducted by Harvard University Graduate School of Education indicates that youth entrepreneurship programs such as NFTE are particularly effective at keeping students from low-income urban backgrounds on the academic track and can be a significant force in driving them toward high achievement and leadership.
NFTE Fairchester is located at 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY and can be reached at (914) 697-7577 or
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About NFTE Fairchester
The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (www.nfte.com) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to provide entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low-income communities.
The NFTE Fairchester program office was launched in 1999 in order to provide entrepreneurship training to the low-income young people of Westchester and Fairfield Counties. NFTE Fairchester has grown the number of students served by 30% or more in each of the years since the division was established. In its most recent fiscal year, NFTE Fairchester served 1,403 students at 20 sites. For the current school year, 2007-2008, NFTE Fairchester is anticipating growth of near 15%, increasing the number of students served to approximately 1,600.
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