Bibb Students Learning Entrepreneurship through FLEX (Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneur X-Perience) Program
One way to measure student achievement is to ensure when students graduate from high school; they are 3EReady. Meaning students are equipped with the necessary tools to be successful if entering a 2-year or 4-year post-secondary institution, going directly to work in their selected career, or enlisted in one of the military branches. However, we know there are 31 million entrepreneurs in the U.S. and 582 million worldwide.
So, it is only fitting to adjust 3EReady to include the overarching E of entrepreneurship. We are excited to announce that Bibb County School District and the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce were selected to participate in the 2022-2023 Georgia FLEX competition. The goal of the Georgia Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurship Experience (FLEX) is to create prosperity and revitalize rural entrepreneurial ecosystems by educating students on the rewards, sacrifices, and processes incurred in establishing small businesses.
A combination of educational guidance, incentives, and mentor opportunities will inspire Bibb County School District students to launch their successful small businesses, eventually leading to a more vibrant, robust local economy for the Macon-Bibb community.
We hope that locally FLEX will spark an entrepreneurial spirit in the students of the Bibb County School District. Selected students will compete in three rounds of competition, with the final round culminating in a “Shark Tank” style presentation given before a panel of judges to announce the winners. The rules of the competition are simple, and the prizes are significant — up to $5,000 for the winning student-owned company — making this competition fun and competitive for all students who enter. This student will then move to the state competition with the opportunity to win up to $10,000.
The Bibb County FLEX program is also being supported by the Griffith Foundation and the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority.
