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The Minority Youth Business Retreat on Travel Throughout Texas and Oklahoma
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Posted On: Tuesday February 3rd, 2004 at 12:00am EST
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The U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), in partnership with Richland Community College, Tarrant County College, University Texas San Antonio, Houston Community College-Southeast, Oklahoma State University, Junior Achievement of Dallas, Junior Achievement Chisholm Trail, Inc., Junior Achievement Southeast Texas-Houston, Junior Achievement of Greater Tulsa, Junior Achievement of San Antonio, Dallas Independent School District (ISD), Arlington ISD, Houston ISD, San Antonio ISD , Tulsa Public School, Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Business Development Center (MBDC), San Antonio MBDC, Houston MBDC and Tulsa NABDC will hold several "Minority Youth Business Retreats (MYBR)" throughout the Dallas National Enterprise Center.
The Dallas Eighth MYBR will be held on March 11; the Tarrant County Fifth MYBR will be held on April 23; the Houston Third will be held in May; San Antonio Third MYBRs will be held on May 18 & 19; and the Tulsa Third MYBR will be held in October 2004. The theme of the retreats is "If You Care About America Tomorrow, Then You Have to Care About Minority Youth Today."
The retreats focus on ethnic minority (i.e., Native American, African American, Hispanic and Asian) students in grades 10-12 throughout the Dallas Region. Activities included computer-simulated business exercises, presentations by minority business owners, community leaders and educators. It is anticipated that 625 students from 34 high schools participated in this event.
“The low rate of minority business formation is due to a lack of exposure to business related activities by minority youth,” stated John Iglehart, Regional Director of the MBDA Dallas office. “Our program addresses this problem, and will teach these future business leaders the keys to asset building and wealth creation in minority communities.”
The purpose of the retreat is two-fold: To expose minority youth to the principles of business in an effort to motivate them to consider entrepreneurship as a career option and to position minority youth to become future business owners and community leaders to participate in the changing economy resulting from the rapid growth in the minority population in America.
Mr. John F. Iglehart, MBDA’s Dallas Regional Director, founded this program in 1996 to encourage minority youth to consider business as a career. Approximately, 3,700 youth have participated in these retreats.
For additional information on MBDA's Minority Youth Business Retreats, call Dr. Kenneth E.(W) Francis at (214) 767-8004.
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SOURCES
MBDA
Stephanie Childs
(202) 482-6272
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