City of Dixon issued the following announcement on Nov. 20.
Whiteside Area Career Center (WACC) announces the creation of its second Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) class to provide better access to high school students from Lee and Ogle Counties. The class is to be located in Dixon, IL.
Jerry Binder, WACC Director of Development, announced today that a position for facilitator will be posted for a second WACC CEO class. “Now in our fifth year, the CEO program has been a phenomenal success. To date, 122 students have been through the program, of which 26 are in the current year’s class. That is more than an optimal class size yet distance has prevented even more students from the eastern region of our geography from applying. We want to give those students the opportunity to experience CEO.” said Binder.
The CEO program provides high school students with the opportunity to meet with various entrepreneurs and business leaders throughout the region. The goal is to learn from the local businesses here with a mission to create their own real business. They sell their wares at a trade show held near the end of the second semester. “The program teaches them not only the techniques and challenges to create a business but also exposes them to leaders of a wide variety of organizations in our communities. We want them to think about coming back here to start businesses or work as leaders in the organizations here in the Sauk Valley.” said Binder.
The CEO program is privately funded by 67 individual, community, and corporate investors who are passionate about the program and eager to continue its success. A second class will require additional investment and the CEO Advisory Board is pleased to announce that the Clifton Larson Allen (CLA) Foundation, has invested $5,000 in seed money for the new class.
According to Kent Sorenson, Manager, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), in Dixon, “CLA is about creating opportunities and the CLA Foundation exists as an extension of that into our communities by creating career opportunities through education, employment, and entrepreneurship. The CEO program matches our Foundation’s mission perfectly.” Over $2 million has been granted out nationally and $70,000 in Illinois since 2015. Every dollar raised and granted comes from within the CLA family.
The second CEO class will begin with the fall semester of 2019. Applications are being accepted now through January 31st....
The CEO program is organized under the umbrella of the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship. Established by the Midland States Bank, the Institute endeavors to establish transformational CEO programs in communities in the Midland States Bank footprint and beyond. There are currently 41 active CEO programs in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Colorado.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Dixon
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