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7/16/14

FREE ENTREPRENEURIAL Workshop For Teens- The DOPE Project- July-August @ Music Hall

 
The DOPE Project  (Development Of  Positive Energy)

ENTREPRENEURIAL WORKSHOP: 5 WEEKS

Location: Music Hall

Students: grades 7th-12th

SUNDAYS Starting July 27th / August 3, 10, 17 and 21st

FREE with Registration

www.dopeproject.com

 

The goal  of  The  Dope Project (TDP) is to teach  today's youth how  to be business leaders of  tomorrow. TDP is not a boring lecture, or a traditional class  taught with  books. Instead, TDP allows kids  to interact with  business leaders and  professionals as if  they  are in the  real workplace. TDP will incorporate fun workshops, projects and  internships led  by a network of  young, successful business leaders to instill life, entrepreneurial and  leadership skills.


The DOPE Project successfully finished it's first program, creating a line of T Shirts, from conception, to design, to production to marketing and sales, in Flint, MI earlier this year.
The Detroit version 2.0 will be free for Teens 9th- 12th Grades held on Sunday afternoons at The Music Hall Center For The Performing Arts beginning Sunday, July 2t7h at 3PM, with subsequent classes the next 3 following Sundays- and finishing on Thursday, August 21st.

FREE REGISTRATION at thedopeproject@yahoo.com

 

 

TDP was founded in 2013  by Fred  Walker,  a successful entrepreneur who  grew  up in the inner city of Flint, Michigan. Walker graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelors of  Science degree and went  on  to work  for  several Fortune 500  companies in the Technology field.   In  2006 Walker left his corporate job to pursue entrepreneurial interests ranging from real  estate, technology, food/ service and  retail. 

 

He is now  a successful business owner in the  community with  businesses throughout the Metro Detroit area.  After spending his time speaking with and mentoring kids  he saw a need  to create a program that  would  take  the  lessons taught in the  classrooms ... to  the  streets. Walker believes that by placing the kids in a real work environment, they  will see  firsthand how  real  business is transacted. Walker will invite business leaders in the community to be "guest teachers" to work with the kids on various projects and even  earn  possible internships. If they are working on designing a product, a Designer will work with them to design the product.

 

 The catch is- all of the  "guest teachers" will be young business owners and professionals who are "cool" and  more relatable to  the  kids.   Walker will also utilize his relationships with companies such as, Hershel Backpack, McDonalds, Meijer  and  Vita­ min  Water  to sponsor prizes for  the  kids

Some of the  workshops he has created include 'The Art  of  Selling," in which  the  kids  use  the  Five  P's (Product, Packaging, Place,  Price, Promotion) to actually launch a real  product they  must  sell, and  "The Gift of  Gab," in which  the  kids  must  learn  how  to get  what  they  want  by simply  talking (whether it's  a job interview, negotiating to buy something, trying to sell something).  As unconventional as these workshops may seem, they require the  kids  to use lessons taught in the  classroom such  as math, read­ ing  and  writing. Their public speaking skills will also be developed by having to present business presentations in front of  the  groups.

Each workshop is a five week program (one time per week  for  2.5 hours) with  no  more than  12  students.  The workshops will have prerequisites such as: age/ class level, etc. which will be defined in each workshop information packet. Upon completion of each workshop, the students will acquire invaluable knowledge, life skills and  experience.

 

Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Jazz Café

350 Madison

Detroit, MI 48226

(313) 887-8501

www.musichall.org

 

 

                                                 -SCHEDULE-

 

ENTREPRENEURIAL  WORKSHOP: 5 WEEKS

Location: Music Hall

Students: 10-12 students grades 7th-12th

 

Session 1: Sunday July 27th 2014

 3:00-3:15pm  Introduction to The D.O.P.E Project (TDP)

            It is recommended that parents attend the first workshop with their kids to

            get their support and understanding throughout the workshop.

 

3:15-3:30 pm  Guest Speaker (musician-TBD)

Guest Speaker will tell their personal story and help motivate and inspire the kids to reach for their goals.

 

3:30-4:30 pm  The Business Plan

The assignment of designing and selling a tee shirt for the Guest Speaker in collaboration with TDP is announced.  The shirts will be designed, marketed and sold by the kids.  The Simplified Business Plan is explained and together the kids write the plan.

 

4:30-4:45 pm  The Homework Assignment

Draw out sketches of how the shirt design will look and bring to class next week.

 

 

 

Session 2: Sunday August 3rd  2014

 3:00-3:15pm  The Recap

The kids discuss the business plan and design theme from last week .  They discuss any challenges faced when designing and sketching.

 

3:15-3:55 pm  The Selection Process

The kids will select the best design and make any edits or changes necessary.

 

3:55-4:00 pm  Prep time for Negotiation

The kids select a "negotiator" to speak with the Lead Designer for The Distinct Life (national branding agency with clients such as New Balance, Reebok, Saucony) to discuss the cost of taking their design idea and creating a vector file for printing.  The budget is only $100 and they need the design created within 2 days.

 

4:00-4:15 pm  The Negotiation

The selected Negotiator chats live via Google Chat with the Lead Designer.  He/She must explain the project, purpose and time restraints- then discuss pricing.

 

 

 

 

4:15-4:45  The Homework Assignment

The group will discuss how the shirts will be marketed to get people to purchase them. They set a goal of  how many shirts per student need to be sold to break even on costs.  Their homework assignment is to write a short sales pitch out to present to the group next week.

The kids are told to come "photo shoot ready" next week.

 

 

 

Session 3: Sunday, August 10th2014

 3:00-3:15pm  The Recap

The kids discuss challenges they may have faced writing their sales pitch. Each kid presents their sales pitch to the group for practice.

 

3:15-4:30 pm  The Photo Shoot

The kids are presented with their tee shirt design and each of them receives a shirt in their size.  A professional photo shoot takes place at Music Hall of the wearing their shirts-the photos will be used  for the marketing campaign they have planned.

 

4:30-5:00 pm  The Homework Assignment

The kids go over the sales ledgers and how to properly fill them out and compute totals based on purchases.  Their homework is to sell as many shirts using their sales pitch and tee shirt .  They are taught how to handle cash and checks and write a receipt. 

 

**The kids are invited to host a pop up shop for THE DOPE PROJECT at Fred's store "two/eighteen by Burn Rubber" in downtown Royal Oak on Saturday, August 9th from 12:00-4:00pm.  This will be an opportunity for the kids to sell their shirts in a store and interact with real customers. A DJ and light refreshments for the event is announced.

 

 

 

Session 4: Sunday, August 17th  2014

 3:00-4:00pm  Sales Tally

A thorough accounting is done to account for every tee shirt sold. A spreadsheet by size is arranged and filled in to make a purchase order for the printing company. 

 

4:00-4:30 pm  Photo  Shoot review

The final edited photos are presented to the kids for review and they discuss posting them to social media pages. 

 

4:30-5:00pm  The Homework Assignment

The assignment of writing Thank You letters to Music Hall, Designer and Photographer is given.  Templates on how to write a Thank You letter are reviewed and they discuss the importance of acknowledging others and maintaining relationships in business is discussed. Fred announces Saturday,

 

 

 

 

Session 5: Thursday, August  21st 2014

 6:00-6:30pm  Award Ceremony

            It is recommended that parents attend the last workshop with their kids to

Celebrate the outcome of the workshop.  Top three sales persons are recognized and prizes are given out.  Each student receives a certificate of completion.

 

6:30-7:00 pm  Delivery of Goods

All shirts are packed and given to the kids to distribute to their customers.

 

7:00-8:00 pm  The Celebration

Kids and parents enjoy a pizza party and video of testimonies from kids and parents are taken during the event.