KCAP, Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development
A unique collection of student entrepreneurs will be showcasing their business ideas in a trade show-type setting on Tuesday, April 30th. The CEO Program lead by the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development along with the Galesburg Community Foundation, among others, has been working with selected students since the Fall. “It’s a class that meets off campus (during the) first hour,” KCAP President Ken Springer said. “It takes a limited number of high school juniors and seniors from any high school in Knox County. Instead of going to a typical class, what the students do is: over the course of a year, they go out and visit businesses. The students themselves launch their own business by the end of the year.” Instead of studying from a text book, the students will hear from a business or community leader and learn from them. The trade show is, according to Springer, basically the students’ final exam for the program. Students come up with the business idea, a business plan, select a business structure, and even file for a sole proprietorship and build a website for their business. At the event tomorrow night, students will get evaluated on selling and the viability of their business. The CEO Program Trade Show is being held at the Lake Storey Pavilion tomorrow from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The public is encouraged to attend.
