GlassRoots to Host 2016 Business Plan Competition and Trade Fair in Newark

Newark, NJ -- Greater Newark high school students who have spent the last academic year creating their own glass art and an accompanying business plan for marketing and selling their one-of-a-kind pieces will showcase their work at GlassRoots' annual Business Plan Competition and Trade Fair on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 4:30 pm at Science Park High School, 260 Norfolk St, Newark, NJ in the First Floor Atrium/Media Center. The public is invited to attend.

GlassRoots is a non-profit organization located in the downtown arts district of Newark, New Jersey that provides artistic and life skills training to Newark area youth, ages 10 to 18, by engaging them in the creation of glass art and the development of business and entrepreneurship skills.

The GlassRoots Business & Entrepreneurship Program, dedicated to nurturing and guiding the entrepreneurial spirit, is modeled on the curriculum from the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an international non-profit organization that introduces youth to the world of entrepreneurship. High School students from the Greater Newark area begin their journeys as entrepreneurs during 65 hours of class time focusing on how to plan, prepare, market and manage a business. They then create products in one of GlassRoots' glass art studios. The program culminates in a business competition and trade fair at which the students' products can be purchased.

"Entrepreneurship education benefits students from all socioeconomic backgrounds because it teaches kids to think outside the box and nurtures unconventional talents and skills," said Barbara Heisler, Executive Director. "Through our entrepreneurship program, our students learn organizational skills, including time management, leadership development and interpersonal skills, which prepares them for additional education and give them an edge with highly transferable skills sought by employers."

The seventeen student entrepreneurs this year hail from Newark's Public and Charter Schools. For the first time, student entrepreneurs were encouraged to consider forming collaborative businesses with other students. The results provided several interesting business ideas.

The Business Plan Competition is the culmination of the time and effort that these students have dedicated over the last nine months. Judges for this year's competition include:

- Keith Dent, Senior Manager for Regional Programs, Rising Tide Capital

- Margaret El, Arts Lead, Newark Public Schools

- Michiko Sakano, Glass Designer

- Chike Uzoka, Entrepreneur and Business Coach

The Business and Entrepreneurship Program, one of several run by GlassRoots, is supported, in part, by the Bob Crewe Foundation, George A. Ohl Jr. Charitable Trust, PSE&G Foundation, NJ Office of Faith Based Initiatives, New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Sherr Foundation.

GlassRoots is a Newark-based 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for achievement to youth and young adults by engaging them in the creation of glass art and the development of entrepreneurial and life skills. GlassRoots programs are STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), and are offered as in-school residencies, after-school and summer arts programs, and as workshops for teens and adults, using competency in handling molten glass as a pathway to personal development. Additionally, GlassRoots offers two workforce development programs to move young adults to the world of work. For more information, call 973.353.9555 or email info@glassroots.org.