Many high school students wants to stand out in their CV by building something they can show off in their college application. Some of them also really want to build cool projects too. If you are one of them and looking to evaluate Young Entrepreneurs Academy then we've analyzed their program for you.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can take their first step toward launching a startup by joining Young Entrepreneurs Academy today. This entrepreneurship program offers real-life skills required to start, sustain, and scale a business. 

In this review, we will give you an overview of the platform, its key features, and other relevant information. In addition, we will share our take on Young Entrepreneurs Academy and other similar programs like BETA Camp that can help you achieve your entrepreneurial goals. 

You can also check out the comparison chart at the end if you are short on time. 

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Overview

Blue Box Corporate Finance, with the support of the UK’s leading young entrepreneurs and Francis Holland School, founded the Young Entrepreneurs Academy. The objective was to make the tools and resources of entrepreneurship accessible to 13-16-year-olds across the UK.

The program has real-life video content and graphics to inspire, improve, and test the skills of future game-changers and make the learning experience more effective. The objective is to train future thinkers on establishing a sustainable business. 

Young Entrepreneurs Academy is great because no prior knowledge or experience in business or entrepreneurship is required. You can enroll in the program if you have an idea and are willing to learn. Also, you will get a YEA Diploma after successfully graduating from the program. 

Young Entrepreneurs Academy is not just for passionate learners. Many schools, charities, clubs, and corporations are also associated with it. Students have to apply directly via one of these organizations. 

This platform aims to provide real-life business courses to more than ten thousand young teens every year. It promotes social diversity by encouraging students from less privileged families to apply. It’s wonderful how a learning platform brings the business world to your fingertips. 

Key Features

Let’s look at the key features of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy.

Basics of Business

Young Entrepreneurs Academy has launched a new 20-part interactive video series called the Basics of Business: 20 Quick Hits. Students can earn a YEA diploma by completing this video series that covers all business fundamentals. 

Each episode in the series is 15 minutes long and features some of the UK’s most popular young entrepreneurs as they share their different success stories, including business failures. The video series is fun and engaging but follows a robust academic syllabus for students. 

This course is a great intro for anyone who has no idea about how a business works or what the basic concepts of a business are. It focuses on encouraging learners to think using TikTok. 

The fun part is that this course is highly interactive, with equal participation from students. Students must complete a presentation on a Business Plan as the course moves forward.   

The videos were designed with the help of the Learning Room, a leading global brand in educational design. Videos contain incredible graphics and illustrations to help students visualize their learning. 

The series' first episode will be released on March 1, 2023. So, be quick to apply and secure a spot. 

Events and Competitions

A business plan isn’t good enough if you can’t implement it in the real world. To make this implementation feasible, the Academy has introduced an exciting competition called Dragon’s Den. 

During this contest, students pitch their business plans in the Dragon’s Den to four of the UK’s leading young entrepreneurs. The winner will receive a seed fund of £2000 to make their dream come true. In Autumn 2023, the world will witness the inaugural Dragon’s Den in London. 

Another perk of joining the Academy is a bundle of exciting events. The Academy is organizing a Young Entrepreneurs Network evening in Francis Holland’s old school house, where students will get the opportunity to meet with like-minded individuals and mentors. 

In addition, there will be masterclasses on entrepreneurship and building business plans where Academy ambassadors Caroline Sage and Asher Budwig will address students and discuss the ins and outs of starting a business. 

Dynamic Team

The Academy team has six divisions, each with different purposes in the organization. For instance, the Young Board consists of some of the Academy’s best learning entrepreneurs. The board holds discussions four times a year. 

During the quarterly meetings, the board gives feedback to the executive team on how to improve the course content, modify UX designs, and discuss growth strategies. 

Then there’s the Young Legends division. These people continue to prove that business success can come at any age. 

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The corporate partners are a big help as they continue to invest in building an educational program that will polish the entrepreneurial skills of young minds. The Academy is associated with Blue Box, HSBC, Citi Bank, and other corporate giants. 

The leadership team has people working tirelessly behind the scenes to improve the Academy. This team elects the ambassadors who represent the platform and give it a voice. Finally, the brilliant mentors spend 2 hours per month helping the Academy and sharing their valuable experiences with learners. 

Logistics

The Academy has a temporary physical headquarters in Francis Holland’s old schoolhouse in central London. This place hosts different networking events, seminars, and workshops from time to time. 

Currently, the Academy’s module is online. To enter the program, students need to complete an online registration process. They will have to use invitations provided by their schools, clubs, or any other organization. 

Applications are reviewed within 48 hours, and every 4 out of 5 applicants are selected. After the selection, students will receive access to the basics of business courses. 

The best part is that Young Entrepreneurs Academy provides places for selected applicants. Blue Corporate Finance and other generous corporate partners have made it possible for the program rate to come in at $995. 

Pros and Cons

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a national leader in providing entrepreneurial knowledge, supports middle and high school students to become confident entrepreneurs. The Academy’s project-based curriculum teaches students to conduct market research, form pitch decks, and launch their own companies. 

The program is great, but it has both upsides and downsides. 

Some of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy’s pros include:

• Cost: Unlike similar programs, Young Entrepreneurs Academy provides its services at a more affordable rate of $2595. Generous corporate funding helps students take part and gain knowledge.

• Access to exclusive events: The Academy hosts many events throughout the year, which allows students to work on their networking skills. Also, participating in competitions like the Dragon’s Den will build their confidence from an early age. 

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• Idea station: The Academy will launch the Idea Station program in the Summer of 2023. The purpose of this program is to help students brainstorm and come up with ideas that will turn into great businesses. 

Some of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy’s cons include: 

• Mentor support: The Academy provides learners with support from some great teachers in the industry. However, only 2 hours from a mentor per month may not be adequate enough to facilitate learning. For example, BETA Camp provides two mentors per start-up to students who guide them at every step. 

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• Long-term content: The 20-part video series is helpful for students to get accustomed to basic business concepts. But, most of the curriculum of the Academy is dependent on this content only. 

• Admission process: Although the Academy wants to help build successful entrepreneurs, it doesn’t allow everyone to participate in their program. At similar programs (like BETA Camp), anyone can apply and enroll in a class.
  
  But at Young Entrepreneurs Academy, students have to go through an admission process. This selects which students should receive help based on the results of one test. Also, you can only apply through invitations from schools, clubs, charities, and organizations associated with the Academy.

At similar programs (like BETA Camp) the process is relatively easy. So, students focus on learning and having fun. 

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Who is it for?

The program focuses on 13-16-year-olds or middle-school and high-school kids. It is suitable for people with great ideas who want to start a business. Students who want to become future entrepreneurs can enroll at the Academy to learn the components of startups, the ways to run a business, and other exciting concepts. 

Also, if you want to network with other successful entrepreneurs or are looking for support, this program is for you. 

3 Things You Might Love About Young Entrepreneurs Academy

1. Opportunity to meet people: There is no better way to network than sharing experiences with similar people. The Academy allows learners to meet with young, established entrepreneurs and people like them who want to be successful business owners. 

2. Internship opportunities: Young Entrepreneurs Academy partners with many businesses, corporations, and entrepreneurs. So, after you have completed your training under a mentor, you can apply for internship opportunities in the mentor network. 

3. Rewards: Aside from learning how to start and run a business, students get accreditation at the Academy. Once you have completed the YEA diploma, you are given a certificate. You can use this certification to add depth and strength to your CV. 

How does it compare?

Since Young Entrepreneurs Academy provides entrepreneurial skills for teenagers, it may overlap with many other similar programs. However, each of these programs differs from the others in many aspects. 

Endevvr, a virtual entrepreneurship program, teaches students by giving them a rigorous corporate experience. Unlike YEA, this program focuses more on advanced entrepreneurial skills. The curriculum is based on analytical and hypothesis-based teaching methods. Endevvr promises that each learner will have a final working product within two weeks. 

The focus of BETA Camp, a 4-week summer program, is building revenue-generating businesses. Although the program is virtual, like YEA, it is more interactive because students can communicate with their mentors in a one-on-one setup. BETA Camp does not launch on-demand e-learning videos but provides teachers who conduct live online classes in a small classroom setup.

Quarter Zero provides a virtual reality hybrid experience to students. Its goal is to activate the entrepreneurial mindset in students by helping them create real startups. It provides a 10-day startup camp for learning the basics of business and a 5-week Catapult Incubator program for creating and pitching a startup. 

To summarize, YEA takes a more fundamental approach to teaching entrepreneurship. Other programs are more likely to teach advanced content on entrepreneurship. Also, only YEA teaches entrepreneurial skills to middle-school students. 

Final Verdict

Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) focuses on teaching middle-school and high-school students how to start a business and become charismatic entrepreneurs. It brings them into the network of aspiring entrepreneurs where they can get any support they need. 

Although high-school summer business programs can be effective for students,  choosing a program for teens can be tricky. Your goals may not align with the mission of the program. 

Also, people can become confused just by looking at the number of options available. We suggest doing proper research before enrolling in a program. It is better to talk to people who have used the program and can share their experiences. Gathering more information will help you make a better decision. 

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