ARTESIA — The Youth Enterpreneurship Summer (YES) Camp provides high school students with the opportunity to explore their entrepreneurial interests and talents. According to a brochure from YES Camp, this three college credit course helps students understand the role that free enterprise and entrepreneurship plays in achieving economic growth, community prosperity and individual success.

The brochure said during 40 hours of classroom instruction and a 35-hour field-based practicum, students research the feasibility of a business idea of their choice and produce a business plan. At the end of the course, students present their business plans to a panel of businessmen and women from the community in the “best” business plan contest for honors and awards.

The course curriculum includes subjects such as “Characteristics of a successful entrepreneur,” “Supply and demand forces in the economy,” “How a successful business satisfies a consumer need,” and “Business ethics and social responsibility.”

Students pay $75 and receive a $675 scholarship to cover the balance of the program cost. The cost of the program per student is $750, which includes tuition, fees, books, educational materials and associated administrative program costs, according to an informational hand-out. Scholarship funds for the program are raised by the community.

Students are required to complete an NMSU (New Mexico State University) application for undergraduate admission, present their official high school transcript, have a minimum 2.5 high school grade point average and present a completed YES Camp application.

“YES Camp is shining example of active university and community collaboration providing high school students with expanded educational opportunities and access to higher education, while at the same time strengthening the community’s future,” the brochure states.

YES Camp courses began Monday, June 1, and will continue through Sunday, June 7. During this time students will attend classes and form a business plan practicum. A business plan competition and award ceremony will take place Monday, June 8.

YES Camp is taking place at the NMSU Carlsbad Artesia facility (Artesia Vocational Training Center).

The Chase Foundation is supporting the student scholarship portion of YES Camp as well as sponsoring the program.
Participating Artesia High School students are Christopher Cano, David Durham, Dayna Fletcher, Jacob Green, Cynthia Lopez, Clayton Lyles, Alejandra Mendoza and Mark Montes.

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