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Youth Education Facilitator

September 27, 2023

Website seedspot SEED SPOT

On a mission to educate, accelerate, and invest in underreprensented, impact-driven entrepreneurs.

Position Overview

To meet the demands of the future workforce, students need to engage in active learning that promotes and develops the skills, technologies, and resiliency required to work collaboratively, solve stubborn problems, and overcome adversity. These are the skills and traits at the core of entrepreneurship, and intentionally cultivating them will prepare and propel learners regardless of their individual pathway. 

SEED SPOT, a global leader in entrepreneurial education,  has received a grant sponsored by the Best Buy Foundation to cultivate these youth entrepreneurial talent outcomes in Minneapolis, MN. This position will be a contract role focused on executing the goals and objectives of this grant program. 

The SEED SPOT Youth Education Facilitator is responsible for representing the SEED SPOT brand, assisting in the successful production and execution of programming, and for facilitating the mission and vision of SEED SPOT in the Minneapolis, MN entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Youth Education Facilitator will take the lead on onboarding student program participants, facilitating programming, and serving as the liaison between SEED SPOT,  Best Buy in Minneapolis, MN, and students themselves. The Youth EducationFacilitator will play a critical role in the success of the project, and will assist the SEED SPOT team in reporting on the outcomes of the program. 

Program Description

SEED SPOT’s Youth Entrepreneurship Program is a flexible program designed to help students identify social problems, understand the root causes of systemic issues, and explore what it means to be a social entrepreneur. The curriculum leverages video lessons, guided collaborative work, and technology-driven project learning, and may be delivered virtually if in-person gathering is suspended at any time. The program focuses on the following objectives:

  • Activating curiosity and personal agency in teens exploring career choice by instilling an entrepreneurial mindset among youth ages 13-18 that encourages recognition of opportunities, confidence in risk taking, adaptability, and innovation
  • Developing confidence and competence with in-demand technical skills and tools that are relevant across a majority of industries and careers through “lean” start-up methodology training
  • Building human skills that increase young people’s ability to thrive regardless of which employment path they choose
  • Providing an understanding of entrepreneurship as a viable, meaningful career, and a foundation for further career exploration and education

In 9 months, program participants will identify a social problem and design a venture that provides a solution to the problem. Along the way, program facilitators will guide students through curriculum that embraces youth’s passion, creativity and talent, and delivers the skills, technologies, and knowledge needed to pursue entrepreneurship as a viable career path. Combining direct instruction with hands-on learning activities and mentorship, the program focuses on the themes of communication, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity. 

SEED SPOT firmly believes that core entrepreneurial traits like curiosity, initiative, and persistence can be effectively taught and cultivated in our young learners. By nurturing students’ entrepreneurial mindset and exposing students to real-world problem solving, impact-driven business models, and emerging industries, SEED SPOT is preparing students to thrive in a global innovation economy and to tackle the social issues that impact their lives. Our social entrepreneurship curriculum ignites within students a passion for pursuing meaningful change through entrepreneurship. To achieve these objectives, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program includes:

  • 9 months of entrepreneurship programming that provides participants with a structured approach to social problem identification, hypothesis building, data collection and analysis, responsive solution design, and professional presentation skills, to empower the next generation of social impact entrepreneurs.
  • Social impact entrepreneurship curriculum
  • Mentorship experiences
  • Project-based learning opportunities
  • Programming focused on technical skills development and experiential learning

Key Responsibilities:

  • Serve as the main point of contact within the local community for SEED SPOT programming
  • Assist in managing and executing the Best Buy grant program to meet grant expectations.
  • Meet regularly with the VP. of Programs to report on grant outcomes and progress. 
  • Support the recruitment of all positions that support program implementation including volunteers and Mentors. 
  • Collaborate with other Best Buy Teen Tech Center facilitators routinely. 
  • Actively support and engage with the SEED SPOT programs team on programmatic elements and curriculum feedback and enhancements
  • Alert SEED SPOT of any program changes, snags, or issues in real time
  • Customize the program to fit the needs of the participants and center. 
  • Blend the Pathways soft skills with the SEED SPOT curriculum. 
  • Connect participating student entrepreneurs with additional resources and network within local ecosystem to further venture growth and relationships
  • Deliver in-person programming to entrepreneurs in an informed, engaging manner
  • Assist the coordinator with Pathways sessions. 
  • Assist in the coordination of additional SEED SPOT Content Experts to lead training
  • Oversee student entrepreneur progress and adjust program content and pace accordingly
  • Supplement the provided curriculum with examples and illustrations from personal experience working in, on, and with startups and other businesses
  • Work 1:1 with student entrepreneurs, when needed, during weekly program sessions to fill in learning gaps and apply the overarching concepts to their individual businesses/use cases
  • Manage all facilitation materials and suggest curriculum development opportunities to SEED SPOT
  • Assist in the coordination  of events (space, food/beverage, supplies, technology, equipment, communications, logistics, etc.)
  • Work with SEED SPOT to establish marketing & outreach plan for programmatic events
  • Be a collaborative brand ambassador within the entrepreneurial ecosystem by speaking at and attending key events. 
  • Capture images and screenshots of events and regularly share across the SEED SPOT communication channels in team meetings and slack channels. 

Project timeline:

  • September 2024 – Hiring, training and Youth Education Facilitator onboarding and training  
  • October 2024 – Program launches 
  • May 2024 – Showcase/ Demo Day
  • June 2024 – Program ends 

Compensations:

  • Salary range is competitive and commensurate with experience

Requirements:

  • Must be based in Minneapolis, MN, and available to do in-person events and programming. The program will run once a week from October – June.
  • Serve as the main point of contact within the local community for SEED SPOT programming
  • Assist in managing and executing the Best Buy grant program to meet grant expectations.
  • Meet regularly with the VP. of Programs to report on grant outcomes and progress. 
  • Support the recruitment of all positions that support program implementation including volunteers and Mentors. 
  • Collaborate with other Best Buy Teen Tech Center facilitators routinely. 
  • Actively support and engage with the SEED SPOT programs team on programmatic elements and curriculum feedback and enhancements
  • Alert SEED SPOT of any program changes, snags, or issues in real time
  • Customize the program to fit the needs of the participants and center. 
  • Blend the Pathways soft skills with the SEED SPOT curriculum. 
  • Connect participating student entrepreneurs with additional resources and network within local ecosystem to further venture growth and relationships
  • Deliver in-person programming to entrepreneurs in an informed, engaging manner
  • Assist the coordinator with Pathways sessions. 
  • Assist in the coordination of additional SEED SPOT Content Experts to lead training
  • Oversee student entrepreneur progress and adjust program content and pace accordingly
  • Supplement the provided curriculum with examples and illustrations from personal experience working in, on, and with startups and other businesses
  • Work 1:1 with student entrepreneurs, when needed, during weekly program sessions to fill in learning gaps and apply the overarching concepts to their individual businesses/use cases
  • Manage all facilitation materials and suggest curriculum development opportunities to SEED SPOT
  • Assist in the coordination  of events (space, food/beverage, supplies, technology, equipment, communications, logistics, etc.)
  • Work with SEED SPOT to establish marketing & outreach plan for programmatic events
  • Be a collaborative brand ambassador within the entrepreneurial ecosystem by speaking at and attending key events. 
  • Capture images and screenshots of events and regularly share across the SEED SPOT communication channels in team meetings and slack channels. 

About SEED SPOT: 

SEED SPOT was founded in 2012 to empower entrepreneurs to launch and scale ventures that positively impact lives through new services, products, or technologies. Business ownership is directly correlated with decreased income inequality and is among the most powerful pathways to the long-term social and economic well-being of BIPOC and women+ communities (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020). However, deep-rooted structural inequities, such as lack of access to expert mentorship and financial capital, cause underrepresented entrepreneurs to face significant barriers to building generational wealth and community prosperity through business ownership. 

By equipping underrepresented entrepreneurs with tactical education, expert networks, culturally responsive mentorship, and non-predatory capital, SEED SPOT directly addresses the primary barriers to business ownership. Since 2012, we have served over 3,000 entrepreneurs, 76% of whom are BIPOC and women+ founders. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated over $300M in revenue, raised $122M in capital, and created over 5,300 jobs. 

Learn more about SEED SPOT’s impact by visiting the website and 10 Year Impact Report. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: SEED SPOT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace and we hire the most qualified candidates without regard for age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, language differences, nationality or national origin, family or marital status, physical, mental, and developmental abilities (or the perception of a disability), genetic information, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, skin color, social or economic class, education, work and behavioral styles, political affiliation, military service, caste, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer: 

SEED SPOT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace and we hire the most qualified candidates without regard for age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, language differences, nationality or national origin, family or marital status, physical, mental, and developmental abilities (or the perception of a disability), genetic information, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, skin color, social or economic class, education, work and behavioral styles, political affiliation, military service, caste, or any other characteristic protected by law.