DALLAS — Need a bright business idea? Just ask one of 11 Dallas ISD students who attended BizCamp STEM entrepreneurship camp.
Over four transformative weeks, these entrepreneurial apprentices turned their innovative ideas into real business projects. At the end of the month, the students participated in a competition in which they presented a timed business proposal to a panel of judges.
Led by the Dallas ISD Career and Technical Education Department in collaboration with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and the National Academy Foundation, participants learned essential business skills such as customer empathy, punctuality, professional dress and cost of doing business.
Alexa M., a soon-to-be junior at Bryan Adams High School, is studying interior design at Eastern College of Careers and for her, BizCamp was an opportunity to shine and believe in herself.
“I was so excited for Alexa to be at camp because she got a chance to grow and believe in herself,” said teacher Brooke Ayars. “She initially said she didn’t want to compete, but after a little encouragement, she ended up taking second place.”
Alexa’s idea was for a floral design business whose goal is to help customers find a unique, easy, and long-lasting gift of high quality.
“I liked BizCamp because it was a good experience that many don’t have and I learned that there are many ways to be an entrepreneur and start your own business,” Alexa said. “I came up with this idea while making a bouquet for a friend who likes Spiderman. That’s what inspired me to continue with the flowers.”
Students also completed a “Design for Delight” certification, created an app to launch their businesses, and earned Shopify and Google Cloud badges, which will add to their resumes and skills.
“I’m very impressed with the fact that Dallas ISD helps students earn certifications during the school day and the district covers the cost. I think taking advantage of every opportunity that arises is crucial,” Ayars said.
Mars R., an 11th grader at Woodrow Wilson High School who is also in the International Baccalaureate, emerged as the first-place winner with her project “Interio,” and will go on to compete nationally in the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in October.
Their app connects interior designers with clients, offering features like private messaging, a shared calendar and data projections. Designers pay a monthly fee for the service, while clients can use it for free to communicate about projects.
For Ayars, being part of BizCamp allowed her to form new connections with students from other schools and foster the relationship she already had with her students at the Instituto de Profesiones del Este.
“I met a few students because I taught them, and I was really excited to see their names on the list,” she said. “They can use the essential skills they learned at BizCamp no matter what path they take in life.”
Over four transformative weeks, these entrepreneurial apprentices turned their innovative ideas into real business projects. At the end of the month, the students participated in a competition in which they presented a timed business proposal to a panel of judges.
Led by the Dallas ISD Career and Technical Education Department in collaboration with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and the National Academy Foundation, participants learned essential business skills such as customer empathy, punctuality, professional dress and cost of doing business.
Alexa M., a soon-to-be junior at Bryan Adams High School, is studying interior design at Eastern College of Careers and for her, BizCamp was an opportunity to shine and believe in herself.
“I was so excited for Alexa to be at camp because she got a chance to grow and believe in herself,” said teacher Brooke Ayars. “She initially said she didn’t want to compete, but after a little encouragement, she ended up taking second place.”
Alexa’s idea was for a floral design business whose goal is to help customers find a unique, easy, and long-lasting gift of high quality.
“I liked BizCamp because it was a good experience that many don’t have and I learned that there are many ways to be an entrepreneur and start your own business,” Alexa said. “I came up with this idea while making a bouquet for a friend who likes Spiderman. That’s what inspired me to continue with the flowers.”
Students also completed a “Design for Delight” certification, created an app to launch their businesses, and earned Shopify and Google Cloud badges, which will add to their resumes and skills.
“I’m very impressed with the fact that Dallas ISD helps students earn certifications during the school day and the district covers the cost. I think taking advantage of every opportunity that arises is crucial,” Ayars said.
Mars R., an 11th grader at Woodrow Wilson High School who is also in the International Baccalaureate, emerged as the first-place winner with her project “Interio,” and will go on to compete nationally in the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in October.
Their app connects interior designers with clients, offering features like private messaging, a shared calendar and data projections. Designers pay a monthly fee for the service, while clients can use it for free to communicate about projects.
For Ayars, being part of BizCamp allowed her to form new connections with students from other schools and foster the relationship she already had with her students at the Instituto de Profesiones del Este.
“I met a few students because I taught them, and I was really excited to see their names on the list,” she said. “They can use the essential skills they learned at BizCamp no matter what path they take in life.”
