Press
Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Launches in Beaverton, OR
BEAVERTON, OR — The Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce and Presenting Sponsor Oregonians Credit Union are excited to introduce the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) to the Beaverton Community!
YEA! guides high school students through the process of starting and running a legitimate business or social movement over the course of a full academic year. YEA! provides students with an invaluable opportunity to gain professional experience unattainable in a classroom, and benefits the community by allowing established businesses to collaborate in support of a growing economy in Beaverton.
“We think it’s important to teach young people about business and credit,” Oregonians CU CEO Chuck Garner said at the launch party, hosted in the credit union’s Beaverton branch. “We are clearly excited about it.”
Kian Haddad, a junior at Southridge High School in Beaverton, endorsed YEA!’s local launch and confirmed he may apply. “When my mom first told me about the program it seemed too good to be true,” he said. He noted layoffs and the tough economy in recent years have limited opportunities for high school students in the community. “It could give us the start we need. We are the future of Beaverton. We are the people who will be running businesses.”
The Beaverton Chamber is proud to be the first Chamber of Commerce in Oregon to launch YEA! When the program launches in November of 2013 it will involve more than 70+ businesses, mentoring, guest speaking, providing host tours and field trips and financial support.
Oregonians Credit Union is headquartered in Milwaukie, Oregon, and has six branches in the Portland area, plus a branch in Prineville. Oregonians CU currently serves over 3,000 employer groups located in Oregon and over 23,000 members and has over $300 million in assets. For more information, visit www.OregoniansCU.com.
Founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy today serves hundreds of students in communities across America. For more information visit www.yeausa.org.