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The Entrepreneurship Mentor
Program developed by the Lyles Center for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship has added a new dimension – it’s now an academic
offering at California State University, Fresno
Led by the Dr. Timothy Stearns, director of the Lyles Center, the
Entrepreneurship Mentor Program provides resources for students to build
their skills and network with professionals in their field.
“We are not a traditional class where students are passive and teachers
are active,” Stearns said. “It is an expectation and a requirement that
students take ownership of the course.”
The goal of the Entrepreneurship Mentor Program is for students to
develop skills that prepare them to succeed professionally as
entrepreneurs.
“This class is not about learning,” Stearns said. “You can learn about
entrepreneurship anywhere. This class is about building skills in
entrepreneurship.”
Twenty prominent entrepreneurs in the community have volunteered their
time to mentor the students in the class, which will meet once a week
through spring 2008.
In addition to classroom speakers, students will get involved in
community service, experience workshops and take field trips.
“This class is a chance for students to actively ‘pitch-in’ and add
value to their entrepreneurial skills as a group,” Stearns said. “The
Lyles Center provides the space and mentoring for them to do so.”
The students in the program go through an interview process and are
selected from a pool of candidates who have made a commitment to pursue
resources and experiences that will result in the enhancement of their
entrepreneurial skills.
In previous years, students would attend social networking events and
spend time with an assigned mentor. Now the students will network with
other students and professionals during class and be able to develop a
stronger relationship with their particular mentor. They’ll earn three
units of Fresno State credit.
Blake Akin is a returning participant excited to take the course. “Last
year it was very beneficial to me,” he said. “It taught me how to use my
skills to focus on what I should be focusing on. I am really excited
about this year’s program.”
Yulia Chavez, a new student in the course, said, “I want to be involved
in anything in the Lyles Center” because of the resources and mentoring
it offers.
Part of a student’s grade is community involvement. The Entrepreneurship
Mentor Program is working with the Food Bank and planning to provide
direct assistance to help improve its business practices.
Grades also will take into account a student’s participation in class
and with his or her mentor, evaluations by other students and mentors
and a culminating project.
“The project can be anything from a PowerPoint presentation to a song,
play or sculpture,” Stearns said. “The students need to share what
experiences they have had and what the journey was like.”
For more information on the Entrepreneurship Mentor Program and the
Lyles Center, visit
www.lylescenter.com/mentorship_program.php.
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