OSU and East Central pair as part of Partners In Education program

5.12.2011
Oklahoma State University’s School of Entrepreneurship will now pair with East Central High School as part of the Tulsa Metro Chamber’s Partners in Education program. The partnership will bring East Central’s students mentoring and guidance from the internationally-recognized OSU program, giving them the tools they need to think and act in entrepreneurial ways. 

“We’re very excited to facilitate this partnership between OSU and East Central,” said Susan Harris, senior vice president of education and workforce for the Chamber. “While every partnership that the program hosts is important, this one is especially exciting for us. East Central has a wonderful entrepreneur program and the guidance and strength of OSU’s program will certainly take students to the next level.”

The Partners in Education program, established in 1983, connects students in the Tulsa Metro with the community to increase their quality of education through resources, expertise, guidance and support. This partnership between East Central and the OSU School of Entrepreneurship will give students an opportunity to attend conferences and guest lectures from entrepreneurs and professors, get involved in experiential learning opportunities, access OSU’s facilities and be mentored by graduate level students.

Dr. Michael Morris, the Malone Mitchell Chair in Entrepreneurship and head of the School of Entrepreneurship at OSU, explains that “Oklahoma’s future is tied to entrepreneurship, and it must begin in our primary and secondary educational institutions. We are both honored and enthused to be part of this special partnership with East Central. Our goal is to help students to dream big, and give them the tools and confidence to act on those dreams.”

OSU’s School of Entrepreneurship will include East Central in a number of facets of its program, including attendance by an East Central High faculty member in the national Experiential Classroom clinic, hosting students in the Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Dormitory and involving East Central students in social entrepreneurship projects done in Tulsa.

In addition, the OSU School of Entrepreneurship will:

• host East Central students as virtual tenants in the School of Entrepreneurship student incubators, where they would be assigned to companies the master's or undergraduate students have started;
• involve East Central faculty and students with the School of Entrepreneurship's small business consulting efforts done as part of the Cowboy Entrepreneurs Boot camp in Tulsa each fall;
• invite East Central’s top students to observe the private judging session in the final rounds of the Riata Business Plan Competition;
• work with East Central High faculty on module and course development with School of Entrepreneurship faculty and entrepreneurs-in-residence;
• involve East Central High students with the Riata Entrepreneurial Internship Program
• provide free admission to female students to attend the annual Women Entrepreneurs Inspire event in Oklahoma City.

“Entrepreneurialism is the true spirit of Tulsa,” said Suzette Huggins, principal of East Central. “OSU and East Central recognized a need to promote that spirit through its students and we are excited to forge this partnership.”

For more information on the Partners In Education program, please contact Heather Johnson at heatherjohnson@tulsachamber.com  or 918.560.0218.


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