Bill Overview
Title: 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act
Description: This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a curriculum for volunteers with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) to teach underrepresented students (e.g., minority students, English learners, and children with disabilities) about entrepreneurship. The SBA shall develop and implement a strategy to encourage partnerships between the SCORE program and community learning centers to teach this curriculum and, in developing the curriculum, collaborate with education specialists and groups with experience serving underrepresented children. The SBA must submit a biennial report on partnerships between the SCORE program and community learning centers, the use of funds by the program, the number of students reached through the entrepreneurship curriculum, and plans for improving the curriculum.
Sponsors: Rep. Phillips, Dean [D-MN-3]
Target Audience
Population: Underrepresented students globally in primary and secondary education
Estimated Size: 25000000
- The bill is focused on underrepresented students, which typically includes minority students, English learners, and children with disabilities.
- According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are approximately 50.7 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States.
- Approximately 50% of these students are from minority backgrounds.
- About 10% of students are English learners.
- About 14% of students have disabilities according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
- Globally, there are about 1.5 billion learners in primary and secondary education according to UNESCO.
- Looking beyond the U.S., underrepresented groups are similarly defined across various countries.
- Proportion of minority or underrepresented groups globally can be assumed as approximately 10-20% of the school-aged population.
Reasoning
- The target population includes minority students, English learners, and children with disabilities, which suggests that the policy would mainly impact individuals in diverse and economically varied areas.
- The budget is limited to $35M in the first year, which means it likely won’t reach all 25 million underrepresented students but can still have a significant impact on some.
- The program involves partnerships with community learning centers, which are more available in urban and suburban areas, potentially leaving rural areas less covered.
- The curriculum aims to improve entrepreneurship knowledge, which could have varying success based on existing community resources and educational support.
- Over ten years, the budget and scope of impact are larger, allowing more students to be reached as the curriculum and partnerships are refined.
- The program targets long-term improvements in entrepreneurship knowledge, which may influence future economic participation and personal financial success.
Simulated Interviews
High school student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think learning about entrepreneurship can give me more career options.
- Having people who experienced real-world business teach us would be great.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Middle school student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 14 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Learning about business sounds interesting, but I'm not sure how it applies to me.
- I hope I can keep up with the lessons.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Volunteer at a community center (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm excited to contribute to teaching entrepreneurship.
- I think this will give students broader aspirations beyond traditional routes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
High school student (Miami, FL)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this program makes business seem more accessible to people like me.
- I'm interested in creating my own apps and businesses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Owner of a small business (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy creates opportunities that weren't available when I was young.
- I think students will benefit from practical insights.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High school student (Houston, TX)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I’ve never thought about starting a business before.
- It might be a way to help my family and community.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired executive (Seattle, WA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've always believed entrepreneurship should be taught early.
- This could lead to innovative projects and tech developments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Middle school student (Detroit, MI)
Age: 12 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Starting a club seems like a business too.
- I want to learn how to create more opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Middle school teacher (Rural Kansas)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could be great if we can get the resources here.
- Many students could benefit and see new possibilities for their lives.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
High school graduate (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 18 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm looking forward to starting my own business someday.
- Programs like this give students like me a head start.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $35000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $40000000)
Year 2: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 3: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 5: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The size and diversity of the target population could affect program reach and success.
- Coordination between the SBA and educational entities is crucial for effective curriculum delivery.
- Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will be essential to ensure program objectives are met.