Mtech Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2009

University of Maryland’s Mtech to Offer Two Summer Entrepreneurship Courses for High School Students

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The University of Maryland’s Maryland Technology Enterprise (Mtech) will offer two entrepreneurship courses this summer for high school students, institute officials announce today.

The courses, offered through the university’s Young Scholars Program, enable students to earn three college credits in just three weeks. Offered from July 12-31 at the university’s College Park campus, these courses give students the opportunity to explore career options and test academic interests, meet new friends who share similar interests, and discover college life at Maryland.

Dynamic instructors will create a learning environment that encourages creative problem solving. Students will also benefit from Maryland’s vast resources, including libraries, computer and instructional labs, and recreational, residential, and dining facilities.

ENES 140: Discovering New Ventures – Foundations of Entrepreneurship

• Through this exciting, multi-disciplinary course, students will explore dynamic business and technology topics by working in teams to design a new business. Students will learn the basic business, strategy, and leadership skills needed to launch new ventures, as well as how to assess the feasibility of a startup venture and how to apply best practices for planning, launching, and managing new companies. Students will learn to recognize opportunities, assess the skills and talents of successful entrepreneurs, and learn models and “rules of thumb” that help navigate uncertainty. Field trips to area start-up companies will show how new ventures actually operate in today’s climate. Interactions with guest speakers will further enrich the classroom experience.

ENES 141: Introduction to Technology Marketing and Product Development

• This multi-disciplinary course is for students interested in careers in marketing, business, engineering, or technology entrepreneurship who want to learn the principles behind developing and marketing technology products. Basic marketing theory is covered including customer segmentation, product positioning, branding, and pricing. Key technology areas and the kinds of products and industries surrounding those technology areas are also studied. Through a mix of course concepts and hands-on team projects, the course culminates in student team presentations of 21st century product concepts and marketing plans.

For more information about the Young Scholar’s Program and to apply, visit http://www.oes.umd.edu/s/ysp/.

About the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) (www.mtech.umd.edu) 

The mission of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) is tri-fold: educate the next generation of technology entrepreneurs; help entrepreneurs create successful technology-based ventures; and connect Maryland companies with university resources to help them succeed. Founded in 1983, Mtech has had a $19.6 billion cumulative impact on the Maryland economy through its programs. Mtech is a unit of the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland.

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