Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to motivate young people from low-income communities to stay in school, learn and get excited about entrepreneurship, and plan for success in the future. According to the NFTE website, one American youth drops out of high school every 29 seconds. High school graduates earn on average $300,000 more than drop outs, and college graduates earn an additional $1M more over the course of their lifetime.

NFTE offers classroom and summer programs as well as day camps that are facilitated by certified teachers and volunteers. All NFTE programs focus on educating young adults about various concepts of entrepreneurship such as marketing, finance, product development, and ownership. Students develop business plans which they then present to a panel of judges at the end of the program, often with the chance to win seed money to start up their business.

NFTE's mission is to motivate young people from low-income communities to stay in school, learn about entrepreneurship, and plan for successful futures.

Several research studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of NFTE's programs. In a Harvard Graduate School of Education study completed in 2002-2004, NFTE students' interest in attending college increased by 32%, compared to a 17% decrease in the control group of non-NFTE students. A Koch Foundation study (completed in1998-1999) of New York City NFTE alumni found that 83% of alumni wanted to start their own business (compared to 57% of the control group) and that 36% of the alumni had actually started a business (as compared to 9% of the control group. Finally, in a Brandeis University research study completed in 1993-1997 and 2006-2008, business knowledge increased by 62% among NFTE students, compared with 3% of the control group.

NFTE currently has program offices in 11 states as well as programs in 9 international locations. Since it's inception, NFTE has worked with more than 350,000 young people.