Five Students Graduate From EDA’s ‘EntrepreNow’ Program

ST. THOMAS — The Economic Development Authority (E.D.A.) has announced the graduation of five students from a six-week summer program designed to encourage the territory’s youth to think about becoming entrepreneurs as they prepare for their personal and professional lives after high school, according to a recently issued release.

The graduation ceremony for this summer program, dubbed EntrepreNow, was held on Friday at E’s Garden Teahouse and Things in St. Thomas, located at 2A Commandant Gade (Garden Street) in the purple and green building across from Ideal Restaurant and next to the Midtown Guesthouse.

EntrepreNow, the brainchild of the Enterprise Zone Commission (E.Z.C.), was designed this year to assist the territory’s young men ages 14-19 years old in learning how to set personal and career goals, build self-confidence, resolve conflict, prepare a résumé and conduct a job search, create and implement a business plan, and other life skills, according to the release. EntrepreNow is also being held this year on St. Croix from July 17 to August 25.

Established in July 2016, EntrepreNow is being held for a second year in partnership with the Office of the Territorial Public Defender of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the local non-profit organization Youth Arise, Inc. The E.Z.C. is an entity of the E.D.A. that is responsible for the revitalization of distressed neighborhoods that were once vibrant centers of economic activity in the territory.

Selected through the Department of Human Services and the Office of the Territorial Public Defender of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the students of EntrepreNow participated in a variety sessions for their chosen career tracks during this summer program, according to the E.D.A. These career tracks included, but were not limited to, game testing, civil engineering, carpentry, K-9 law enforcement and diesel mechanic jobs.  The students also participated in the work shadowing of local entrepreneurs.

Feature Image: Kevon Barclette, Jevon Thomas, Claudius Abraham, Jr., Shirmoy O’Garro and Kyri Hughes gather for their graduation ceremony on St. Thomas at E’s Garden Teahouse and Things on August 4, 2017. These 2017 graduates of EntrepreNow, also known as the Gentlemen of EntrepreNow, were recognized for their achievement of completing the six-week entrepreneurship program.