The importance of entrepreneurial education in children. Why it should be started as early as possible and how it helps the little ones in the future

Entrepreneurial education is extremely important at any age. Nowadays, being financially educated is as important as taking care of your health. We live in a world where everything is in constant and rapid change: temptations call to us from all directions, promotional campaigns are omnipresent, credit cards entice us, shopping is just a click away, the child's desire to have the latest model of "something" is always heard.

Therefore, entrepreneurship education should be started as early as possible.

"The age of 8-13 is the optimal age when children are open to everything. Everything that enters their lives from this age turns into values that stand at their foundation for the rest of their lives.", he says Carmen Iorgulescu, program coordinator at KEN Academy Romania, an institution specialized in financial and entrepreneurial education for children.

From the age of eight, children can acquire knowledge about entrepreneurship.

"The emphasis we constantly put is that money is not the end in itself. The goal itself is for you to be able to define your dreams and have the power and knowledge to turn them into reality, into entrepreneurial projects from which you can also earn money, because money is also important. You can't become extremely good if you're not passionate enough about it and if you don't do it with dedication", believes Carmen Iorgulescu.

Carmen teaches the kids to ask themselves the important questions for a business, but which are actually applicable to any project, even a school one: Why? What the? How? When? Where?

It helps them to visually represent their information in a mind map, a map of the mind. And it talks about how a business can be organized starting from the idea and continuing with the customer profile, market research, partners, resources, revenue, expenses, profit.

The KEN Academy program spans several years and consists of one 90-minute interactive lesson per week and a monthly sales event where children have the opportunity to present their products to real customers. A stand where the little ones sell lemonade, muffins or bracelets made by them turns into a valuable learning tool and can also be organized as part of activities organized by schools.

"During the first year, the overall vision of what entrepreneurship means, what a business means, or different types of business, is created for them. Roads are made in organizations. We visit a juice producer, for example, then the children see how the product is distributed, then how the product reaches the final consumer. I also go to the supermarket, to the grocery store on the corner, and to HORECA. In the second year, they start working on a business idea, which undergoes many changes over time. They have access to a resource, we invite young entrepreneurs or young specialists to be their mentors. They work on the branding side, on the packaging side, they go to the market, they do market research, it's all very fun.

It's a model of education that prepares you for whatever the job market will look like. In another 10 years it will look even more different, and this kind of luggage helps you, regardless of the context, to find your solution", says Carmen Iorgulescu.

KEN Academy, offers a complex program of financial and entrepreneurial education for children between the ages of 7 and 13. The novelty brought by KEN Academy is the applied component of the program – visiting some companies (intended to help children understand business concepts, but also the production process), building their own businesses and holding sales events; thus, they come into direct contact with the market, get to know customers personally, practice their courage, sales skills and learn to work in a team.

Parents can enroll their children for the 2018-2019 school year at KEN Academy starting now by filling out the form on the website: http://kenacademy.org/inscriere-parinti/

About Carmen Iorgulescu

Carmen Iorgulescu is KEN Academy Coordinator, psychologist, financial and entrepreneurial education trainer for children, speaker at financial education conferences for parents. She is the mother of Andrei from Nazdravan, who knows from a reliable source that money does not grow on trees. 

In 2012, he founded the KEN Academy (www.kenacademy.org), the most complex financial and entrepreneurial education program for children between the ages of 7 and 13. 

Carmen enjoys and supports children's courage, initiative and confidence to take action to make their dreams come true. 
She is actively involved in educational projects, firmly knowing that "financial intelligence" is a "must have" nowadays, while the "entrepreneurial spirit" is an engine for future growth, that "key" element that helps children to they manage in life no matter what they choose to do.  

About KEN Academy

KEN Academy is a non-profit organization, a complex financial and entrepreneurial education program for children between the ages of 7 and 13, developed by the KEN Institute Association.

KEN Academy through the KEN Business program also functions as a "business incubator" where the best business ideas of children are encouraged and supported.

Until now, more than 2100 children have graduated from one of the Academy's Programs: KEN Academy, KEN Business, KEN, Start or KEN Money.