MINDING OUR BUSINESS

Minding Our Business (MOB) is a community outreach program of Rider University College of Business Administration. The purpose of Minding Our Business is to advance the personal and vocational development of urban youth through entrepreneurship education and mentoring. MOB currently has a 12-week after-school spring program geared for middle school youngsters (a team-oriented approach), a summer program which provides individualized training, and an advanced program for summer program alumni who want to operate their business year-round and need of additional training. Since 1996, MOB has trained and mentored more than 800 Trenton middle school students, ages 11-14, in starting and running their own businesses.

Research conducted on students outcomes support the assertion that MOB is an excellent model for mentoring and entrepreneurship education of young urban adolescents across the US. Research indicates that students in MOB become more interested in going to college and in starting their own businesses. Students participating in MOB observe positive changes in self and improvement in important work/life skills. Research on academic records data indicates that MOB participation reduces school absenteeism and tardiness. MOB also improves self-esteem among participating students.

For more information, contact Sig Hernandez at hernandez@rider.edu.

© Copyright Minding Our Business, 2007