Rural Entrepreneurship Through Action Learning

Many believe the key to building rural entrepreneurship is to work with the young. Small businesses are an important part of small metropolitan and rural economies. However, a concern is the 80 to 90 percent failure rate of small businesses. Small businesses with business plans are more likely to survive.

The Rural Entrepreneurship Through Action Learning (REAL) program focuses on youth and microenterprises, which may only employ five to ten people and need minimal capital (less than $25,000). This program originated with Dr. Jonathan P. Sher’s 1976 Harvard Graduate School of Education dissertation on “Rural School Community Development Corporations.” Sher was concerned with the lack of career opportunities for youth in rural areas and was searching for a way to stem the “brain drain” rural communities were facing, with its youth leaving for the cities.

From its start in the 1980s, the REAL program has grown into a national network of local programs. In the beginning, it was offered in high schools only. Now, there are REAL programs in 33 of the 50 states, with 250 high school programs, 69 community and technical college programs, four university programs, 140 elementary and middle school programs, and 18 programs at other sites, including community-based organizations.

These REAL programs offer children, youth and adults entrepreneurial education. Each level has a focus appropriate to that age level. For example, the Mini-REAL teachers help elementary school children create an in-school community with an entrepreneurial sector, a court system, banking and a government sector. Middle REAL helps middle school students learn the implications of career and lifestyle choices, create entrepreneurial ventures, and undertake projects that address community needs. REAL Entrepreneurship guides high school students through the process of planning and creating small businesses of their own design, with the help of a local Community Support Team, whose members act as advisors and mentors. And for post-secondary students or those being served through community-based organizations, REAL’s hands-on approach complements existing degree, certificate or continuing education programs and appeals to adult entrepreneurs focused on starting or expanding businesses.

Approximately 1,000 educators have been trained as REAL instructors. REAL provides hands-on entrepreneurship education to over 4,000 students of all ages annually and 12 REAL member organizations serve 21 states. REAL helps create jobs and businesses around the United States. For example, from 1992-1998 North Carolina REAL graduates started 245 new businesses and expanded, improved or purchased 175 businesses, generating total new sales revenue of over $5 million and creating 686 full and part-time jobs.

By Melissa Levy, Digest Managing Editor

For more information, contact REAL at (800) 798-0643 or visit them at www.realenterprises.org.

November Index | Back Page | Next Page