Introducing Eighth Grade Entrepreneurial Design Institute

The Entrepreneurial Design Institute (EDI) is a new signature program for eighth graders at Shorecrest in which Chargers address community needs through entrepreneurial thinking. Once students identify problems/issues in their community, they will harness the power of design thinking, idea generation, ideation and action to develop a unique solution to a real world issue. Upcoming learning modules will develop the student's entrepreneurial mindset, allowing them to have the freedom to add economic and/or social value to their community.

Students will explore concepts and develop skills through both short term and long term projects.

Goals for the program include developing a personal mission statement, an entrepreneurial mindset, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. The program will continue to expose students to technology as a tool to develop ideas, build empathy through human centered design, and teach students to problem solve and think critically - in line with much of the project / problem based learning on the Shorecrest campus.

This week in EDI, Head of Middle School Ms. Grant presented on having an entrepreneurial mindset from her own experience in the business and law fields. One wise student who caught on well remarked during her talk, “Your reputation will follow you wherever you go.” 

During the previous week, Shorecrest alumnus and adjunct EDI teacher Alex Grant ‘14, joined the class virtually to discuss how one's personality type can have an impact on the way they interact with others. Everyone took a 16-personality trait quiz, based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Students had the opportunity to reflect upon their role in friendships, project work, and in future ventures. They discovered that building a team with a variety of personality types can be more productive when trying to flesh out ideas. This information easily transitions into each student developing their “brand.”

By the end of the year, students will create a minimally viable venture idea, explore a variety of tools to develop the venture, and learn effective communication ideas through writing and giving pitches -- all while practicing the entrepreneurial mindset. The course was developed and is taught by Middle School Curriculum Dean Chris Scoby and Head of Middle School Kris Grant.