High School Entrepreneurship Students Can Earn College Credit Through Illinois Tech’s Partnership with Uncharted Learning

High school students who partake in entrepreneurial experiences through a rigorous curriculum and who may dream of starting their own business can earn college credit while following their passion, thanks to a new partnership between Stuart School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology and Uncharted Learning, a not-for-profit organization committed to providing authentic entrepreneurship experiences for students in school districts across the nation.

Through the partnership, Stuart will award up to six credit hours to students who enroll in and complete Uncharted Learning’s year-long INCubatoredu and ACCELeratoredu high school entrepreneurship courses. The two courses provide a sequence in which students explore and develop ideas for their startup business in INCubatoredu and then continue on the path to launching and gaining traction for the business in ACCELeratoredu.

“We share Illinois Tech’s passion for innovation and experiential learning,” says Uncharted Learning Chief Evangelist Margarita Geleski. “We are thrilled our INCubatoredu and ACCELeratoredu students will have the opportunity to receive college credit for their rigorous work in entrepreneurship. No matter the career path, or paths, life requires all to think critically and creatively to solve real problems.”
Illinois Tech hosted more than 50 Chicago-area students in ACCELeratoredu courses during the fall 2022 Innovation Day at the university’s Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship. Activities for the students included pitching their businesses to attendees to receive expert feedback and a session about entrepreneurial finance and data visualization led by Coleman Foundation Clinical Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Nik Rokop and M. Zia Hassan Endowed Professor Elizabeth Durango-Cohen.

Since its founding 10 years ago in the Chicago area, Uncharted Learning has grown to include more than 400 member schools. Nearly 128,000 students have participated in the organization’s programs, which help students in grades five through 12 develop resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills through entrepreneurship. Educators at member schools receive comprehensive training from Uncharted Learning to teach the curriculum.

For more information about this partnership, contact Stuart’s Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Strategy Brian Albertsen at StuartAdmission@stuart.iit.edu.