All schools, including public, private, parochial, charter, and those unable to participate in their local BOCES, should contact the Enterprise America Manager with any program questions or to schedule a tour.

Before you apply, obtain the required approvals from your school’s administration, which may include coordination with your district’s finance department and transportation department.

Select a date that best works for your class’s on-site immersion day below.

The Enterprise America program, an exciting hands-on program for middle-school students, is available to public, private, parochial, and charter schools. The first of its kind in New York State, the program involves classroom instruction, with teachers using a curriculum aligned to state and 21^st Century learning standards provided by WCNY. After completing classroom studies, students embark on the Enterprise America experience, spending a day in WCNY’s Enterprise America City, which they are responsible for operating.

The program is designed for students in grades 6-8, offering an enriching educational experience with curriculum materials and professional development.

In the City

Students apply the financial and civic literacy skills they have learned to run the city’s 12 businesses and City Hall, becoming business entrepreneurs, employees, consumers, and citizens.

They enact laws, elect a mayor and a city judge, and enroll in a health insurance program. The business owners negotiate loans at the bank, while their employees get busy manufacturing products and pricing services, including webpage design. Business accountants prepare invoices and pay bills. Journalists and photographers write stories and take photos for the city’s online news. National Grid Utility Company staff explain the benefits of alternative energy options to business owners. Students exercise their civic duties by casting votes on city issues on a real voting machine and learn how to manage their money and time.

A Business-to-Business Economy

Students eat their lunches and purchase, with Enterprise America dollars they have earned, healthy snacks in the Enterprise America Café, sponsored by Wegmans. They shop in the city’s retail businesses, contribute a portion of their salaries to charity and experience the dangers of texting while driving, using auto simulators. It’s a business-to-business economy, where each student-run company strives to generate enough revenue to pay off its business loan. Students communicate, collaborate and problem-solve. In Enterprise America’s real-world, hands-on learning environment, students do the work, make the decisions, and learn what careers may demand of them when they enter the workplace. By putting into practice, the skills that 21st-century businesses expect employees to possess, students realize the importance of staying in school for long-term success.

After the Experience

Following the Enterprise America experience, students return to their classrooms where teachers utilize a post-experience curriculum to have students reflect on their job performance, analyze their business operations, and calculate and chart survey data. Pre and post-program components aid in student assessment. Enterprise America is also an excellent way to engage students in project-based learning.

Partners and Participation

 WCNY is proud to partner with OCM BOCES and encourages all OCM BOCES component districts to participate in the Enterprise America program. Cross-contract participation and statewide Cooperative Services (Co-Ser) assistance is available to eligible schools. Charter schools, private and parochial schools, and other schools unable to participate in their local BOCES organization must contact the Enterprise America Manager for enrollment information.

Attending WCNY’s Enterprise America program offers schools a unique and comprehensive educational experience that goes beyond the traditional classroom setting. The program is designed to provide valuable resources and opportunities for students and teachers, fostering a deeper understanding of real-world business concepts and practical skills.

If you have any questions about the Enterprise America program, including program details, cost information, or scheduling, don’t hesitate to contact WCNY’s education staff at enterprise.america@wcny.org or fill out the form below.

Empower Federal Credit Union

Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists

National Grid

Wegmans

Amazon