Holyoke Youth Task Force

The Greater Holyoke Community Development Corporation, now called Solutions Community Development Corporation, started with the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP!) in 1997. YEP works with youth from the William J. Dean Technical High School and Holyoke High School. We collaborate with the Holyoke School-to-Career Program to empower young people by encouraging their practical exploration of and experience in entrepreneurship.

We meet weekly to explore and learn about business, business planning and entrepreneurship. All activities reinforce the MA Curriculum Frameworks in math, English, science and technology as well as the Work-Based Learning Plans.

The participating youth, who are enrolled in a variety of the Career Pathways, are involved in all aspects of the business including: assessing their entrepreneurial skills; competition and market awareness; supply and demand and pricing decisions; understanding revenue, expenses and profit margins; market research; customer service; and marketing and promotion.

The youth are also busy making delicious handmade ice cream sandwiches and sundaes!. These youth entrepreneurs are actively involved in every facet of the business from buying the product ingredients and obtaining all state, city and local Board of Health permits, to making our product in the lab kitchens at Dean Tech and selling them.

YEP currently sells ice cream and other products from pushcarts at special events and at the Holyoke Children's Museum, the Farmers' Market, on Maple Street, in front of the Holyoke Health Center, and at the Heritage State Park in downtown Holyoke.

Our ultimate goal is to open a youth run ice cream shop! With the vision of a youth-managed business in downtown Holyoke, these entrepreneurs hope to be the first in a long line of young people who can explore the world of small business in an educational and even profitable way. They plan to be mentors to young aspiring entrepreneurs who will follow in their footsteps.

This program would not be possible without support of: Holyoke School-to-Career Program, MA Department of Education, Holyoke Youth Task Force and Youth Commission Mini-Grant Program, Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Workforce Investment Act, Peoples Bank, Bank of Western Massachusetts, Westbank, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

If you or your organizations would like to support or offer assistance to our hard-working youth, please contact us!


	Youth Entrepreneurship Program
	The Greater Holyoke Community Development Corporation, now called Solutions Community Development Corporation, started with the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP!) in 1997. YEP works with youth from the William J. Dean Technical High School and Holyoke High School. We collaborate with the Holyoke School-to-Career Program to empower young people by encouraging their practical exploration of and experience in entrepreneurship. We meet weekly to explore and learn about business, business planning and entrepreneurship. All activities reinforce the MA Curriculum Frameworks in math, English, science and technology as well as the Work-Based Learning Plans. The participating youth, who are enrolled in a variety of the Career Pathways, are involved in all aspects of the business including: assessing their entrepreneurial skills; competition and market awareness; supply and demand and pricing decisions; understanding revenue, expenses and profit margins; market research; customer service; and marketing and promotion. The youth are also busy making delicious handmade ice cream sandwiches and sundaes!. These youth entrepreneurs are actively involved in every facet of the business from buying the product ingredients and obtaining all state, city and local Board of Health permits, to making our product in the lab kitchens at Dean Tech and selling them. YEP currently sells ice cream and other products from pushcarts at special events and at the Holyoke Children's Museum, the Farmers' Market, on Maple Street, in front of the Holyoke Health Center, and at the Heritage State Park in downtown Holyoke. Our ultimate goal is to open a youth run ice cream shop! With the vision of a youth-managed business in downtown Holyoke, these entrepreneurs hope to be the first in a long line of young people who can explore the world of small business in an educational and even profitable way. They plan to be mentors to young aspiring entrepreneurs who will follow in their footsteps. This program would not be possible without support of: Holyoke School-to-Career Program, MA Department of Education, Holyoke Youth Task Force and Youth Commission Mini-Grant Program, Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Workforce Investment Act, Peoples Bank, Bank of Western Massachusetts, Westbank, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. If you or your organizations would like to support or offer assistance to our hard-working youth, please contact us!