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Five high school students from Beaufort County recently participated in ECU’s Miller School of Business Summer Youth Innovation Camp. Up until this year, the camp only served students in Pitt County. However, that all changed thanks to Keith Hudson, director of the Pamlico Business Resource Center in Washington. “When I found out about the camp I approached them and asked “why only Pitt County students?”, said Hudson. “I asked them if I could round up enough kids from Beaufort County if they could attend the camp, and the answer was yes.”

Through this new collaborative effort, the students were able to participate in a hybrid camp to help cut down on traveling to and from Greenville every day for five days. The students traveled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to ECU, and trained at the Pamlico Business Resource Center the other two days. While in Greenville they toured the Miller School of Business, received training on a simulation program that provided them with resources to open an imaginary business, and presented pitches of their actual business plans. While attending the Pamlico Business Resource Center they were taught the principles of entrepreneurship and how to apply them, toured downtown looking at business storefronts to better understand branding and the types of customers they are trying to attract, and tutoring on how to prepare their business concepts for their presentations at the Miller School of Business. “The fundamentals of entrepreneurship are universal and global in application,” said Hudson. “Not only can they be used to open and operate a successful business, but provide valuable life lessons as well. We look at this camp as a student success program. No matter what they decide to do when they leave school or college we know that we have given them these principles which will allow them to increase their value and grow as a person, so that they can live a successful life whatever path they choose.”

The students also had the opportunity to present their business plans on Saturday, July 13, to family, friends, and other community leaders who were unable to attend the presentation in Greenville. “None of this would have been possible without the support of our local community,” said Hudson. “The camp was completely free. Meals, supplies, and even transportation to and from Greenville on the big purple buses.”

Hudson said they are already working on plans for next year. He said he has also approached the Beaufort County School System about introducing entrepreneurship in the schools next year. “We have a lot of opportunities,” said Hudson. “I tell you what, just seeing these five kids I can tell you Beaufort County’s future could be very bright if we can give even more students this same opportunity.”