JA Worldwide signed on as a Global Partner of GEW back 2007 when the campaign was in its early planning state -- and it has been an active partner ever since. Over a dozen of their country chapters currently serve as hosts, leading their national campaigns in their country. In the US, their BizCamps have served as a unique background for inspiring young entrepreneurs during the Week.
Sean Rush, the president and CEO of JA Worldwide, recently outlined the central challenge of Global Entrepreneurship Week in a guest blog post on the popular Huffington Post - igniting the spark in teens.
Growing up, many kids dream of being an astronaut, a fireman or a movie star - but how many kids dream of being an entrepreneur? Students, educators, entrepreneurs, business and non-profit leaders, government officials and others from across the globe are coming together this month to introduce entrepreneurship to youth as a potential career path.
Rush goes on to talk about how JA Worldwide is using GEW to 'demonstrate the power of global knowledge exchange.'
JA is working with FedEx to connect established Brazilian entrepreneurs, who will "export knowledge" about their businesses, to JA Company Program students through a new Facebook application. JA students will then engage in a dialogue with these entrepreneurs, via the Facebook app, to better understand how to start up and manage a business.
This innovative program will enable students to be better prepared for the global business world and provides them with a unique learning experience, demonstrating how both mentors and technology can enhance the relevancy of academic content and create a rich learning experience. Providing these types of learning experiences is crucial to developing and harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit in young adults, especially since much of this content is not taught in schools.