Broadway Stages is proud to once again be an Investor Panel level sponsor of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) once again. YEA! guides students through the process of fulfilling their very own American dream.

The 2024 6-week after-school entrepreneurship class is available to Staten Island high-school students grades 9 through 12. Students from public, catholic, or private schools are eligible. This year’s participants were selected based on an online application, which includes short-answer questions and the submission of the applicant’s high school transcript, followed by a personal interview with a member of the Staten Island Chamber staff. Prior business experience is not required.

By bridging the business and educational communities, students are taught by trained instructors and are exposed to guest lecturers, successful entrepreneurs, and mentors. Learning about real-world business experiences and how to create their own businesses is invaluable as the students look to the future and their career choice.

YEA! provides a focused introduction to the business world, combining a dynamic, proven curriculum with the experiences of local industry leaders, community members, educators, and entrepreneurs. The goal of all YEA! classes is for each student to successfully launch their own business.

Students experience the entire process of starting a business, from brainstorming ideas, writing a business plan, and pitching their plan to local investors, through registering, launching, and running their own business or social movement. Along the way, participants gain the creativity and energy to pursue their dreams and transition successfully to adulthood. The character of tomorrow’s leaders will be developed based on personal principles and values. Moreover, the community benefits from a culture of innovation, an entrepreneurial mindset, and economic and social value for a better world.

We are honored to be a part of the YEA! program and invest in the student participants and our community. our sponsorship of the 2024 YEA! We know that whatever the participants do, their experience will help to enrich their future, and lead to a better city and progress for all. Good luck to the 2024 Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy students!