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A Ģ������Ƶ instructor of management will be leading a weeklong entrepreneurship and leadership camp for underserved youth in Western North Carolina to help them get an early jump on learning some of the steps necessary for starting a business.

Led by Tonya Snider of the School of Economics, Management and Project Management in WCU’s College of Business at the request of the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, the camp is part of a larger five-week summer program offered by HIGHTS Inc. in partnership with the tenBiz business consulting firm.

A youth-centered nonprofit that equips vulnerable young people in seven WNC counties and the Qualla Boundary with restorative justice services, counseling, recreational therapy, mentoring, and education and workforce development programs, HIGHTS began offering the Summer Career Academy three years ago with the Haywood County School System.

HIGHTS stands for Helping Inspire Gifts of Hope, Trust and Service, which the organization’s leaders describe as is a core value of its mission.

A new addition to the Summer Career Academy’s programming, the entrepreneurship and leadership camp will take place during the academy’s second week, June 24 through 27. It will be held at the Haywood Community College Regional High Technology Center.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to teach youth about the keys to self-employment and starting a business,” Snider said. “At the end of the week, participants will ‘pitch’ their ideas to a panel of judges.”

The camp is made possible by funding from the Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Partnership, said Dusty Snider of the N.C. Department of Public Safey’s Juvenile Justice Division, who happens to be the spouse of Tonya Snider.

“It was my passion to do something specifically for the youth this year. It’s a great opportunity to give the youth in our area a chance to learn more about who they are and give them some supported insight as to what they can accomplish,” he said. “I hope that each youth learns more about who they are and what they can accomplish. We are here to support them if they are willing to put in some work on their own. I’m excited to see what they create out of this.”

Facilitated by the workforce department of HIGHTS, the larger academy that includes the entrepreneurship camp serves students ages 16 to 24 years old. It focuses on a continuum of four stages: career awareness, career exploration, career preparation and career training for participating youth, said Caroline Brown-Williamson, workforce and education director for HIGHTS.

Participants also will tour WNC industries and colleges and take part in mock interviews with panels of local employers and officials. The five-week program runs from June 16 through July 24 and is being expanded to Graham County this year.

“This will provide valuable career preparation experience and foster dialogue about local workforce opportunities, creating awareness for young adults on how to obtain skills needed to fill job vacancies locally and earn a family-sustaining wage,” Brown-Williamson said.

The Summer Career Academy and entrepreneurship camp to be led by Snider represent a small part of an ongoing partnership between HIGHTS and WCU.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Tonya Snider and tenBiz to offer students insights into entrepreneurship and small business development during the second week of the academy,” Brown-Williamson said. “Over the years, Marcus Metcalf, HIGHTS executive director and founder, has fostered strong connections with WCU, with several faculty members serving on our board of directors.”

Dustin Snider agreed that collaborations with Ģ������Ƶenable nonprofits and other organizations to tap the expertise of the institution’s faculty, staff and students.

“The partnership between this community and Ģ������Ƶis huge for building support and appreciation for having the university here on our end of the state. We are resource-poor when it comes to our youth and what they have access to here in WNC. A partnership like this can grow confidence in our youth and our communities and build bridges to encourage our youth to look beyond what they see only as their limited chances,” he said. “To partner with Ģ������Ƶwill bring more people to the table and help highlight the needs here in our resource-poor area.”

For Tonya Snider, the camp is part of her role as a faculty member to go beyond classroom teaching and actively engage with the community and region that Ģ������Ƶwas founded to serve.

“Partnering with organizations like HIGHTS and the Department of Juvenile Justice allows us to take what students typically learn in theory and turn it into something real and connect with the lives of young people right here in Western North Carolina,” she said. “When local organizations and Ģ������Ƶcome together, we can open doors that some of these students may not have realized were even there. I love showing them what’s possible  and letting them know they don’t have to wait until ‘someday’ to start building something great.”