MCC receives $72k grant from Mott Foundation for teen program

Flint, MI— Mott Community College (MCC) has received a $72,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for its Teen CEO program. 

This summer initiative, which runs from June 24 to Aug. 8, is designed for 45 youth aged 14 to 18 and focuses on entrepreneurial skills and business-related topics. 

The Teen CEO program provides youth with entrepreneurial and leadership experience to impact their future and give them a basic understanding of operating a successful business. 

“This program will help young people learn how businesses work and prepare them to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to market,” said Daphne Epps, Director of Youth Services for Workforce and Economic Development at MCC.

During the program, students will learn how to develop a business plan, gain insights into specific industries through mentorships and job shadowing experiences, and create a Higher Education Career Pathway plan for themselves. Additionally, they will acquire essential soft skills such as conflict resolution, financial literacy, cooperative interaction, and the fundamental skills of hard work, punctuality, and dependability.

The skills acquired through the program will be used as students develop a business plan and present their business ideas in a “Teen Tank” presentation. This culminates in a program-end showcase event, allowing the students to demonstrate their new skills and knowledge. All participants will receive a stipend at the end of the program, and fifteen students will receive an additional startup capital stipend for their business.