Maren's Thoughts on Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Vision
To develop students as change agents in high schools, colleges, and universities who will help the United States transition and lead through the new challenges of the 21st Century.

Mission
To ignite entrepreneurial spirit and innovation amongst students across the country by creating a national platform for sustainable design challenges, competitions, and financial incentives (scholarships, funding) within schools at the secondary and post-secondary level.

Objectives
To democratize invention and show that everyone has the capacity to create change
To broaden the definition and understanding of design in the new economy
To broaden the definition and understanding of sustainability and draw attention to the UN Millenium Goals
To facilitate an implicit understanding that everyone is a designer
To blur the boundaries between design, science, technology, and humanities
To create strong partnerships between high schools, universities, and corporations
To provide support, infrastructure, and confidence in young inventors

Current Problems in Education:
Overall Performance
•Slipping educational performance in international rankings, particularly in reading, math, and science
•Below average performance in public school system, particularly in low-income areas
•Increased fixation on performance testing and measurement
•Lack of sustainability education and operations within school systems
•Decreased numbers of foreign students studying at American higher education institutions

Guidance
•Students lacking guidance in transition to employment
•Students lacking support for incubating and realizing ideas

Cost
•Rising costs associated with post-secondary enrollment
•Privatization in of the student loan industry

Opportunities and Trends
•Charter Schools
•Increased interest in Sustainability Education
•Increased acknowledgement for education policy reform and higher national performance
•Democratization of the web and increased connectivity
•Increased need for innovative and creative thinking in American corporations and the knowledge economy
•Increased interest from corporation in start-ups and university R & D partnerships

Programs to Look At
Odyssey of the Mind
Boys and Girls Scouts of America
Pratt Incubator
WPA