August 8-10 Event Equips High School Students
to Be Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs
(Santa Ana, CA) — For three days, August 8-10, the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Digital Media Center will host a business boot camp for Santa Ana high school students. The event gets underway on Friday, August 8, 2014 and over 30 high school students from the Santa Ana Unified School District are expected to attend. The Digital Media Center is located at 1300 S. Bristol, Santa Ana, CA 92704.
The BizFest Training and Competition, a program of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USHCC Foundation), invites high school students to participate in an entrepreneurial competition, creating an idea for a business and developing it into a well-thought-out business plan. This three-day concentrated workshop teaches students how to turn hobbies into profitable business ventures, offers hands-on practical training for aspiring entrepreneurs, reinforces a proactive attitude and encourages students to stay in school, go to college and become future business leaders. The workshops will be supported by faculty from The University of Texas - Pan American's College of Business Administration (Edinburg, TX).
“Entrepreneurship is a key driver of the U.S. economy,” said Gustavo Chamorro, director of the RSCCD Digital Media Center. “The majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by entrepreneurially minded individuals. We are pleased to host BizFest Santa Ana, an opportunity for our young people to learn about entrepreneurship. We hope the knowledge gained will inspire the participants to consider becoming future entrepreneurs.”
The August 8 schedule includes: entrepreneurship and leadership development, entrepreneurship simulation, and opportunity identification and selection, and finishes with computer lab hours. The August 9 agenda includes: business plan components, defining a business, marketing plan, financial concepts, and financial planning. Kristoffer Quiaoit, a young entrepreneur and founder of BrightBrain Learning, will serve as a lunch guest speaker.
On August 10, students will review what they have learned and focus on management and organization. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. the initial round of business plan presentations will occur. From 1:30-3:30 p.m., the business plan final competition will take place with awards and closing ceremonies slated from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
The top six Santa Ana finalists will advance to the 2014 USHCC National Convention in Salt Lake City, UT, to compete against students from across the country. The nation’s top three winners will be awarded college scholarships in the amount of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000. The USHCC Foundation covers all costs associated with travel, meals and lodging for the students to attend national convention. In addition, the top three winners in Santa Ana will walk away with a Chromebook and the fourth, fifth and sixth place winners will receive gift cards.
BizFest Regional Santa Ana is a USHCC Foundation event sponsored by Wells Fargo and the Ford Motor Company Fund.
About the Digital Media Center
The Digital Media Center (DMC), an economic development program of Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) and a Santa Ana College (SAC) instructional center, joins technology, business, and education under one roof. The DMC was made possible through a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Commerce grant facilitated by the WRJ Group, land donated by the City of Santa Ana and Measure E funds. The DMC features a RSCCD-hosted business incubator nurturing digital media companies and college programs and seminars in the digital media arts, TV/video, and business. For more information, visit www.dmc-works.com.
About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USHCC Foundation) is the philanthropic and educational arm of the USHCC. The mission of the USHCC Foundation is to enrich experiences of current and future leaders in the world of business through life-long learning and support. The Foundation’s initiatives awaken and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit, support business growth, strengthen local chambers and foster leaders. For more information, visit www.ushccfoundation.org.
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