Many of the young entrepreneurs NFTE Baltimore program lack the essential resources and professional networks that are necessary to fully execute their business plans. NFTE Baltimore seeks to provide start-up funding to those students who deserve to see their idea become a reality.
Youth attending Baltimore City schools affected by the recent drop-out crisis need motivation and incentives to stay engaged in their education and pursue goals that will better prepare them for future success. They also need business and entrepreneurship training to help them succeed in the modern economy, as the labor force shifts towards rewarding highly educated, highly trained individuals.
These funds will provide grants to qualified NFTE Baltimore students that have competed in a classroom competition, and, in applying rigorous criteria, have been judged to hold a feasible business. The winner in each classroom competition will receive a microgrant of $100 to help get their business off of the ground, while other two finalists in each classroom will also receive funds. Because of your donations, students will get to see their hard work transform into a new business.
By working to keep at-risk students engaged in their school work, NFTE spurs its participants to graduate high school and dare to dream of a brighter future. Whether they pursue higher education, enter the workforce, or start their own business, NFTE instills an entrepreneurial mindset in young people so they can plan for success. Since opening its doors in 2002, NFTE Baltimore has reached nearly 10,000 students from low-income communities with entrepreneurship education programs.
