Morgan Foundation and YEI Partner to Launch a Digital Marketplace for Youth Entrepreneurship Resources
Burton D. Morgan Foundation and Young Entrepreneur Institute have partnered to create YIPPEE, the Go-To Marketplace for all things in entrepreneurship education in order to help K-12 students build entrepreneurial skills for the real world. Through this first of its kind digital marketplace, educators search for resources, receive free products, and share reviews; funders sponsor programs and resources in categories that align with their mission; and education curriculum providers offer quality products and receive direct exposure to their audiences.
Launched in January 2022, YIPPEE was built with technology developed by WonderKiln, an Akron-based technology developer. The YIPPEE platform (Youth. Ideas. Products. Points. Entrepreneurs. Exchange.) connects educators to a host of free entrepreneurship education resources and to one another. As part of the YIPPEE community, educators are empowered to explore a wide range of products on a single platform and share their experiences to ensure the best products make their way to classrooms.
The YIPPEE site currently has 67 listed products which focus on 19 entrepreneurial skills like collaboration, adaptability, business acumen, and grit. Products can be filtered by grade level and five categories (educator training, planning and consultation, curriculum, speaker, supplies, field trip) to meet the needs of different schools and students. On the interactive YIPPEE platform, educators can search a wide range of products, learn about them from community ratings and reviews, and pay with points. YIPPEE enables educators to spend less time searching and more time offering students transformative learning experiences.
Morgan Foundation and Young Entrepreneur Institute share a passion for and belief in the importance of entrepreneurship education for K-12 youth and have partnered to grow youth entrepreneurship in Northeast Ohio since 2007. In 2015, they jointly developed the Enspire Conference for educators, which attracts hundreds of participants annually from near and far. It was through the Enspire Conference and their evolving partnership that the idea for YIPPEE was born.
Both organizations recognize that as traditional jobs are replaced with advanced technology, it is vital to prepare youth for an unpredictable landscape ahead in which individuals must navigate increasingly complex paths. They are united in their belief that entrepreneurship education should be a critical component in all students’ academic careers.
This belief is backed by a growing body of research which shows that entrepreneurship education improves academic performance, attendance, educational attainment, and job readiness. It also contributes to the development of key skills in life including problem-solving, communication, teamwork, public speaking, and creativity as well as mindsets such as motivation, self-efficacy, self-esteem, a sense of ownership, and opportunity recognition.
“Teachers are eager to introduce creative, entrepreneurial project learning into their classrooms, but they find the search process time-consuming and expensive. YIPPEE solves both of these problems,” reports Ilene Frankel, Executive Director of Young Entrepreneur Institute. “We want all children to have the opportunity to learn about and experience the benefits of entrepreneurship education.”
Morgan Foundation President and CEO Deborah Hoover stated, “Through the development of the pioneering YIPPEE platform, Burton D. Morgan Foundation is honoring the legacy of our founder and his maverick entrepreneurial spirit. YIPPEE is poised to revolutionize the way entrepreneurship education is created, tested, accessed, and funded. Our team is energized to partner with Young Entrepreneur Institute on this exciting journey and looks forward to next steps as we build the capacity of YIPPEE to serve the needs of educators and their students!”
To learn more about YIPPEE, visit: https://yippee.exchange/