Entrepreneurship Education for Students
Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators
We believe entpreneurship education (EE) builds more than business skills. It builds confidence, creativity, and future-ready mindset that benefits students on any career path. Through our partnerships, RISE provides students with hands-on training and real-world experience in entrepreneurship and leadership through problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and innovation.
Current Offerings
Spring, Summer, Fall 2026
Designed for students in grades 6–12 (public, private, or homeschooled), this module-based program fits seamlessly into existing classes–from accounting and English to culinary arts and the trades–with no business background required from educators. Clubs like FBLA, DECA, and STEM-related organizations can also integrate the modules into meetings and club activities.
Entrepreneurship Workshops for Grades 6-12
Jocelyn Forest, RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator, is available to provide Entrepreneurship Workshops for middle school and high school students across Southern Virginia.
Workshops range from 90 minutes to a full day, and can be one-time or recurring over a set time period. Students explore how businesses work, develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills, and engage with topics like marketing, business finance, and customer discovery.
Since 2021, RISE has used the CO.STARTERS Generator curriculum through a regional license held by the SOVA Innovation Hub for RISE. This allows us to prepare hundreds of students across the region with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship concepts and skills.
CO.STARTERS Generator offers a flexible, hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Using this as a starting point, RISE Student Entrepreneurship curriculum introduces students to key topics, including:
- Self-Awareness
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Leadership Skills
- Personal Finance Basics
- Business Finance
- Supply Chain and Logstics
- Sales and Marketing
- Design Thinking
Design Thinking Workshops for Grades 6-12
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed., RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator, is available to provide Design Thinking Workshops for middle and high school students in Southern Virginia.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is a mindset and approach to problem-solving and innovation anchored around human-centered design. In each collaborative, hands-on workshop, typically 90 minutes to a full day, students are invited to tackle real-world challenges, such as community or school-based issues. Students use the design thinking process to learn empathy-based, iterative problem-solving skills and develop a practical solution.
The design thinking process typically involves five iterative stages:
- Empathize: Research user needs.
- Define: State user needs and problems.
- Ideate: Challenge assumptions and create ideas.
- Prototype: Start creating solutions.
- Test: Try the solutions out.
Mentorship for Entrepreneurship Educators
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed., RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator, is available to provide mentoring to educators who want to infuse entrepreneurship skills into any class or club. This is available for educators in the RISE Southern Virginia region.
If you are a Virginia classroom teacher, club advisor, or homeschool parent who wants to prepare your students with valuable entrepreneurship skills, we are happy to share our resources with you. Please contact Jocelyn for mentoring support. Topics that you can discuss may include:
- Planning and customization of entrepreneurship education resources
- Sharing of resources like videos, worksheets, and activities
- Co-facilitation or full facilitation with the educator mentee
- Post-delivery debrief and support
Field Trips to Makerspaces and Innovation Hubs
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed., RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator, is available to assist educators with coordinating field trips to makerspaces and innovation hubs, including but not limited to:
- SOVA Innovation Hub – South Boston, VA
- SEED Innovation Hub – Farmville, VA
- Creativity Lab at the Danville Science Center – Danville, VA
- P&HCC Thomas P. Dalton IDEA Center – Martinsville, VA
- Southern Virginia Higher Education Center – South Boston, VA
Ready to plan your entpreneurship-themed field trip? Contact Jocelyn to get started.
Delivery Options for Educators
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed., RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator will work with you to deliver entrepreneurship education to accommodate your schedule and goals. Our programs are offered at no cost for use with students in public, private, and home schools in Southern Virginia.
One-Time Workshop
Great for special events or a single class period. Topic options include:
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
- Design Thinking Challenge
- Getting Started: Mapping Your Business Plan
Delivery: In-person or Virtual
Location: Online, your school, or at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center or at a community venue such as the SOVA Innovation Hub.
Workshop Series
We can work with you to develop a multi-week series of workshops that build the students’ knowledge and skills across time.
Delivery: In-person or Virtual
Location: Online, your school, or at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center or at a community venue such as the SOVA Innovation Hub.
Online Student Course
Students can work through the RISE online entrepreneurship course at their own pace.
Delivery: Virtual
Location: Online
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed.
RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed., is a skilled entrepreneurship and business educator. After over twenty years of service as classroom teacher, department chair, FBLA mentor, and cheer coach, Jocelyn (Ms. Forest) came to the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in 2024 as the first RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator.
In her regional role, Jocelyn is a resource to schools throughout Southern Virginia. Jocelyn utilizes her curriculum and technology skills to partner with educators to deliver impactful entrepreneurship education experiences to students.
She is available to deliver on-site entrepreneurship and design thinking workshops. She also mentors educators who want to embed entrepreneurship into their classes.
To learn more, contact Jocelyn at JocelynForest@svhec.org or connect with Jocelyn on LinkedIn here.
Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed.
Certified CO.STARTERS Facilitator
RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator
Serving Southern Virginia
Ready to bring entrepreneurship to your classroom or club?
Contact Jocelyn Forest, M.Ed., RISE Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator, to share your goals and discuss how we can bring entrepreneurship to your classroom or club.
Resources for Student Entrepreneurs across Southern Virginia
Community-Based Entrepreneurship Support
SEED Innovation Hub
Coworking & Makerspace in Farmville, VA
SOVA Innovation Hub
Regional Non-Profit & Coworking Space in South Boston, VA
Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Free 1:1 Business Consulting
Colleges, Universities, and Higher Education Centers
Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC)
The Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR)
New College Institute
Averett University
Private University | Danville, VA & Online
Hampden-Sydney College
Private University | Farmville, VA
Longwood University
Public University | Farmville, VA & Online
Danville Community College
Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC)
Patrick & Henry Community College
RISE Entrepreneurship Education Program News
Student Entrepreneurship on the RISE
A recent UVA study said that students who were exposed to entrepreneurship education were 40% more likely to start revenue-generating businesses when they grew up. We believe it is valuable to invest time in students to help them explore entrepreneurship. Most...
Sharing Entrepreneurship as a Career Pathway at the Career ChoICE Youth Expo
The 2025 Career ChoICE Youth Expo brought together thousands of students from across Southern Virginia to explore the many career and education pathways available in our region. Hosted by the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research and partners, the event...
RISE Entrepreneurship Education Program Partners
RISE Entrepreneurship Education for students for 2024-2026 is made possible thanks to the SOVA Innovation Hub, GO Virginia, and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Founding partners of RISE Student Entrepreneurship programs also include Longwood University, Hampden-Sydney College, and Averett University.
SOVA Innovation Hub
Regional Non-Profit & Coworking Space in South Boston, VA
GO Virginia
Statewide Economic Development Program