“FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTS for our YOUTH to EXPLORE, DEVELOP, and THRIVE!”
“Hello, and welcome to The Urban Leadership Lab™! My name is T.J. Breeden, and I’m the Founder & Executive Direct of eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc.; a non-profit organization that provides Startup Services to military, minority, and socially disadvantaged communities. On behalf of our sponsors and planning committee, I would like to thank you for your interest in our youth development program!”
“The Urban Leadership Lab™ is a social incubator; providing our youth with access to the kinds of resources that will advance their capacity to do (and become) their best! Our program brings together non-profits, community & faith leaders, industry executives, university personnel, and volunteers to introduce creative ways of engaging our community’s under-served youth. Just as our non-profit organization uses Entrepreneurship as a pathway for community development, our lab aim to surround young people with startup tools, leadership training, and community service opportunities; all in an effort to help our teens unlock the full range of their potential! Not only were we selected to be apart of the White House’s “Computer Science for All” campaign as one of its 2016 service organizations, but we’ve also joined forces with The Emily Krzyzewski Center First Lego League, The LEGO Foundation, Infinite Scholars, and others to offer a productive & safe environment for kids to explore their creativity. Programs include:
- STEM programs, ranging from LEGO robotics teams to an online Coding Academy;
- An online & classroom-style entrepreneurship curriculum that introduces young people to the core functions of launching a business or social enterprise;
- Group achievement, mentorship, and community service programs; and
- Monthly learning labs, designed to help our young people fully envision themselves in positions of leadership!”
22-MONTH PROGRAMMING METRICS:
407 Total youth participants (ages 9-18), which includes:
» 205 Participants of our Online Entrepreneurship Course (beta).
» 24 Registrants of our F.I.R.S.T. LEGO League Robotics Program.
» 89 Registered Coding Academy Participants.
» 24 Participants in our 9-week Summer Entrepreneurship Co-op.
» 10 Scholarship Participants in our 2-week “Summer Intro to Entrepreneurship” Course.
» 36 Participants in our 8-week Boy Scouts of America “Merit Badge” Training Program.
» 19 “Startup Lab” Participants.
“The focus of this project (like others in our platform) is to support the needs of local communities that have suffered (and in many cases continue to suffer) disproportionately in terms of access to economic opportunity. While I’m honored to have received such a strong response to efforts made in support our veterans programs (having received the White House’s “Champions of Change” award for our commitments to aid transitioning vets and military spouses), our staff is also committed to the work of uplifting our youth; many of which (not unlike myself as a teen) may find themselves at a point where they are struggling to identify and define the broadness of their own intellectual potential. The term ‘lab’ is synonymous with environments that foster groundbreaking advancements… from a social & community perspective, our organization hopes to achieve just that!” 
— T.J. Breeden, Founder & Executive Director of eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc.
Our tech labs introduce youth to interactive learning opportunities in STEM, ranging from robotics to computer programming; bridging the gap between traditional learning & technology!
- OUR APPROACH -
“helping our youth explore the full range of who they can become!”
ASSEMBLE:
“Creating environments where our youth can be introduced to the kinds of tools, training, and resources that will propel them into future positions leadership.”
CONNECT:
“Offering workshops and lecturers to extend access to mentors in a range of industries; including technology, business development, education, public policy, and the arts.”
EXPLORE:
“Introducing career development opportunities that not only match the participant’s interests & skills, but helps to create environments for the independent discovery of their own potential!”
UNLOCK:
“Extending volunteer, internship, and fellowship training; intended to provide our youth with the personal experience of investigating & developing their passions, interests, and intellectual curiosities.”
IGNITE:
“Providing ongoing mentorship and professional engagement… through which our participants will not only benefit from long-term, but share with the next group of leaders as they transition into peer-mentors.”
- programs & labs -
"Whether its classroom-style sessions on social-entrepreneurship, or a web-based tutorial on the importance of community service, we are committed to offering pathways for our youth to explore who they can become!"
»STARTUP LAB:
Our entrepreneurship platform (powered by Teachable.com) introduces youth (ages 13-18) to the core elements of building a successful business. We’ve curated over 8-hours of video content from Entrepreneur.com, The History Channel, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets to educate teens about leadership, social entrepreneurship, citizenship, philanthropy, and the history of American innovation! Our podcast series explore the lives of business leaders like Steve Jobs, Magic Johnson, and Henry Ford, while also introducing participants to teen entrepreneurs who have launched their own successful brands in fashion and the arts. We also incorporate a 6-part case study on Ryan Leslie: Harvard graduate turned Hip-Hop artist and tech entrepreneur! After completing our introductory course, each teen is invited to participate in our full program, which includes:
- Classroom-style and live-streaming sessions;
- Workshops with entrepreneurs and community leaders;
- Scholarship events with our partners at Infinite Scholars;
- An invitation into our “Business Leaders Track” Competition; and much more!
#TECH LAB:
Our #TechLabs (launched as part of the White House’s 2016 “CS For All” Campaign Fact Sheet) introduces kids to interactive learning opportunities in “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics); in areas ranging from robotics, to computer programming, to web development. Each program aims to bridge the gap between traditional learning, entrepreneurship, and technology; aligning your child’s creative interests with the innovative career fields of tomorrow!
CODE.org® Online Academy:
Powered by Infinite Scholars, our Code.org Programming Academy equips youth K-12 with computer programming, web development, and general coding skills.
LEGO® Robotics:
Alternatively, our LEGO® Robotics program introduces kids ages 9-14 to the excitement of the LEGO® Mindstorm education series, while also promoting problem-solving, team building, and cooperation skills. Robotics sessions are held at the Emily K. Center of downtown Durham, NC.
»SUCCESS LAB:
Lastly, our success program aims to build leadership skills, explore academic support needs, and spark the career curiosity of our participants. Sessions are ongoing, and are open to all youth as well as college-bound young adults. Focuses include (but are not limited to):
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically… Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education!
» enroll in our online ‘startup’ lab:
CLICK ABOVE TO PRE-REGISTER FOR OUR ONLINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM!
STARTUP LAB: All youth ages 13-18 are welcome to participate. Our Entrepreneurship programs consist of:
(1) Our online entrepreneurship program (videos, LIVE streaming workshops, online tools, case studies, podcasts, etc.);
(2) Classroom & conference-style versions of our startup program (BSA merit badge credit eligibility subject to counselor renewal); and
(3) our 12-week Startup competition, known as the “Business Leaders” Track” (coming soon).
» enroll in our ‘tech lab’ programs:
CLICK ABOVE TO PRE-REGISTER FOR OUR LEGO ROBOTICS & CODING PROGRAMS!
TECH LAB: Enrollment for our upcoming #TechLab series! Space in our LEGO Robotics program is limited to 10 youth per team (ages 9-13), while our Coding programs have unlimited online registration (ages 5-19). Waitlisting for our 2017 lego teams is now open, and is determined on a first-come-first-serve basis.
» upcoming ‘success lab’ workshops:
CLICK ABOVE TO VIEW OUR CALENDAR OF UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, LABS & COURSES!
SUCCESS LAB: Interested in participating in one of our success programs? Visit our calendar to learn more about upcoming events, workshops, and sessions. Coming in 2017. All participants are required to have a “Parental Consent” Packet on file.
eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc.
919-886-4711
info@emerginginc.org | www.emerginginc.org
The Urban Leadership Lab ™ is a directive of eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Programming & curriculums are a component of the organization's “Economic Advancement” project. ISBN: 1441434224. All Rights Reserved. Some Parallax Images Courtesy of Getty Images© and other unaffiliated online image resources. Images & other web content/references are not the property of eMerging Entrepreneurs, Inc, unless otherwise specified.