Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset in Middle School

As an educator, attorney, and advocate for innovation in education, I’ve had the opportunity to work with my students through project-based learning experiences that have led them on real-world entrepreneurial journeys as they sought solutions to global challenges. In my eighth-grade STEAM course, students selected and researched careers; developed logos, business concepts, and branding strategies; and even created podcasts to make their business plan.

I noticed them developing artistic talents, whether through painting, calligraphy, or crocheting, or making plushies. We talked about their love of creation and how they could create a business. Being an entrepreneur does not necessarily mean that students will start their own businesses, but rather, they will develop in-demand skills such as resilience, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability, which promote flexibility in our changing world. These entrepreneurial experiences enable students to shift from consumers of content to creators, leaders, problem-solvers, and innovators.

Essential skills for an entrepreneurial mindset

Students need to extend learning beyond the classroom walls. In my school, students have opportunities to engage in career shadowing, do volunteer work, or participate in events organized by local companies or those that provide career learning experiences. These opportunities promote collaboration, enabling students to work together to design solutions and become changemakers and entrepreneurs. Here are some of the ways these activities build students’ skills:

1. Agency creates opportunities for ideation and iteration. Through project-based learning or challenge-based learning, students choose a focus for their work and learn that their ideas matter and they can design their learning journey. Entrepreneurs know that it takes time to improve and build a brand or a product, or solve a problem.
2. Collaboration celebrates the effort, not just the outcomes. Students engaging in project or independent work become involved in decision-making and learn to appreciate the learning process, and it provides opportunities for discussion through feedback, which promotes greater collaboration.
3. Creativity and innovation connect learning to real-world problems that students care about. Ask students about challenges they see in their community, and pull those into their learning. Students connect with it more deeply and will create and innovate because it is meaningful and purposeful to them.
4. Critical thinking and problem-solving prepare students to adjust to setbacks. Entrepreneurs view challenges as opportunities to do more and work through obstacles as they arise.
5. Digital literacy helps students develop technology skills. These are some of the most sought-after skills that students can develop for the future.

Real-World Project Ideas

We want real-world, meaningful experiences. So, how can educators foster this entrepreneurial mindset in their classrooms? We need to design real-world projects that empower students to explore their passions and create something meaningful. It is also helpful to leverage AI as a thought partner to brainstorm ideas. I have used ChatGPT, Brisk Teaching, Eduaide, EnlightenAI, and TeachAid to help me come up with additional ideas and even lesson plans with slides. TeachAid has an interactive classroom so that students can participate even more. I enjoy using these tools to help me brainstorm ideas for developing entrepreneurial skills and other activities for my students.

Using any of these, I can think about a topic or a skill set that I want students to develop, and use one of these tools as a thought partner to help me design an activity, lesson, or project that will help them build their skills in a variety of ways. I used each to test out a simple prompt of designing a unit, lessons, or projects focused around an entrepreneurial mindset, and each of them provided ideas that will be impactful for my students.

In my class, I ask students to think about a business that they might like to own or consider an area of work where something is missing. I give them a few days to explore and research the area of work they’re interested in, including statistics, required skills, and other relevant facts. Then, they work independently or as part of a group to come up with a better idea, sometimes even creating a presentation or a mock-up of a product or a logo, for example.

The following are some assignments I’ve used.

Build a business and a brand. Students design their businesses. They create a logo, tagline, mission statement, and brand kit. It is fun to use tools like Canva, which has AI features to help students design visuals, video clips, and more.

Launch a podcast. Students love creating podcast episodes focused on their business idea or even a social issue they were passionate about. They write scripts, record audio, and learn how to edit and promote their work, thereby building both storytelling and technical skills within a single project. This is also a great way to engage in cross-curricular collaborations.

Pitch day. Similar to the show Shark Tank, students present their ideas to classmates or the school community. During this process, they build public speaking skills and receive valuable feedback to help them grow.

Entrepreneurial projects are great for cross-disciplinary work, which enables students to build a variety of academic and life skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset means nurturing curiosity, self-direction, and resilience, and encouraging innovation. Flexibility is key.

Applying the entrepreneurial mindset

One of the most powerful lessons entrepreneurship teaches is that failure is not the end. It is part of the learning process. In traditional classrooms, failure often comes with a grade; however, with entrepreneurial learning, failure should be a spark for new questions and possibilities and inspire students to keep pushing through and build resilience.

When students pitched an idea that didn’t seem to be well received by classmates, struggled to create a logo that fit their brand, or realized their business podcast needed a new format, they engaged in the art of reflection and iteration. We took a class period or two to talk about and share ideas and brainstorm, to give them a chance to evaluate and then take another step. Learning to persist, collaborate, problem-solve, and accept that not everything goes perfectly the first, 10th, or 10,000th time will serve them well in the jobs of the future.

In my STEAM class, I encourage students to talk openly about what did and did not work. I ask: “What would you do differently? What surprised you? What feedback helped you improve?” These questions help guide students as they reflect and try again. Instead of asking, “Did you get the right answer?” I ask students, “What did you learn and how can you improve?” 

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset helps students to think like creators, problem-solvers, and innovators. They just need space to feel comfortable taking risks, making mistakes, and sharing their voice. When we make learning more relevant, personalized, and connected to the real world outside of our classroom, it will greatly impact students and prepare them and us for the future.