CLEVELAND — While some kids use their summer break to relax and unwind from the school year, a group of Akron students are taking the time to learn new entrepreneurial skills during a three-week program through Project Grad Akron.

What You Need To Know

  • Some Akron middle school students are using the summer to get a leg up for the future

  • The students are participating in an entrepreneurial skills program and making their own products

  • Business leaders in the community are volunteering their time to help teach the students inside secrets

Project Grad is a nonprofit organization to help under represented students achieve success and this summer entrepreneurship program is for students like, Christian Price, from 7th to 9th grade.

“I would definitely recommend it to those who are wanting to start their own business,” Price said. “Due to that it's hands on and there are always people around you to help you, guide you where you are supposed to go.”

Over the course of the program, Isabella South, the college and career organizer for Project Grad Akron explained that student groups will be creating their own physical products.

“So each of these groups, like our home decor and gifts, they are doing some pillows and some candles, our apparel is doing some jewelry but also some different hoodies and shirts, so they are getting excited about using the press. Then for our bath and body, somebody scrubs and face scrubs,” South described.

She also explained that the students in this program receive a monetary stipend for participating.

Before the students can start creating their products, they have to learn the basics of business, like how to identify what supplies they will need and how to order them.

The students are learning these skills from industry professionals, like Justin Lepley, who is the director of the Northside Marketplace in Akron.

Lepley allows the students to come into the Marketplace during the program and learn from him and other vendors at the Marketplace first hand though lessons and activities.

“The goal is to really think like an entrepreneur to learn about business, learn about entrepreneurship organically and know that entrepreneurs are really folks in your community,” Lepley said. “They are family members, they are neighbors and most importantly, each one of these students can be an entrepreneur if they want.”