Chicago High School Students Kick-off United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation 2012 Bizfest Program

Students to participate in entrepreneurship training program January 14-16, 2012 -

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation, in conjunction with Ford Motor Company Fund and the Coca Cola Company, announced today the start of the national 2012 BizFest Youth Entrepreneurship program to begin this January in Chicago, Illinois. This innovative entrepreneurship program teaches Hispanic high school juniors and seniors how to successfully turn their hobbies into profitable business ventures, giving them firsthand exposure to business planning and development. BizFest Chicago will take place at the Northeastern Illinois University on January 14-16, 2012, and is co-hosted by the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

"As the only four-year Hispanic Serving Institution in the Midwest, Northeastern Illinois University is committed to providing opportunities for Hispanic youth to get the educational experiences they need in order to be successful leaders," says Vicki Roman-Lagunas, acting provost and vice president for academic affairs. "As host of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's BizFest, we are thrilled to welcome high school students from across the region to participate in this event, which certainly will encourage today's students to continue on their path toward becoming tomorrow's business leaders."

The three-day training event is designed to teach students a variety of relevant business techniques through a curriculum that focuses on leadership development and entrepreneurship training. During the leadership development program, students will be asked to evaluate their own personal attitude, level of commitment, discipline and other personal traits in relation to being successful. Serving as the capstone of BizFest, students will be asked to develop a practical business idea and plan, which will be presented to a panel of judges. Expert trainers from the University of Texas - Pan American (UTPA) will teach students various business skills including how to network in business ...