JCU Programs for High Schools Kicks Off 6th Edition of Italy Starts
Nearly 100 students from 10 high schools in Venice, Bergamo, Milano, Rome, and Catanzaro are on their way to learning how to develop a business plan with Italy Starts, an entrepreneurship mentoring program. About 50 students from JCU and partner universities will guide these high school students in this peer-to-peer experience toward the development of a business idea related to the environment. Gina Spinelli, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for External Affairs and Special Projects, and Michel Rosuelo, Coordinator for Partner Schools Admissions, invited JCU’s partner universities to encourage their students to become mentors from remote in the 2023 Italy Starts program.
Aimed at third and fourth-year students enrolled in Italian high schools, Italy Starts was created by the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship as part of the Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l’Orientamento (PCTO), a mandatory program that provides Italian high school students with practical work experience. The objective of Italy Starts is to encourage cross-cultural learning between undergraduate students who have had some training in entrepreneurship or business, and Italian high school students, within the broad spectrum of entrepreneurship-focused mentoring.
Participating JCU/partner university students (mentors) volunteer to be connected to Italian high school students (mentees) to solve real business problems or develop business models for their business or social venture idea. Mentees are then required to deliver a short presentation at the end of the program.
“In the spirit of the entrepreneurial mindset that we foster throughout the University, we captured the opportunities presented by the online delivery of this program. We opened the Call for Mentors to students at JCU’s partner universities. The result is a truly international group of Italy Starts mentors that have been trained to guide all the Italian high school students who applied to participate in the program,” said Gina Spinelli.
“The 15 Teams have just begun their 5-week journey toward the development of their business plan for an idea to resolve a perceived challenge to the environment. Final presentations will be given on June 21,” Spinelli added.
Participating Universities
American University of Armenia
Forman Christian College Pakistan
Rutgers University
San Diego State University
Southern Utah University
Participating Italian High Schools
Liceo Classico Europeo Marco Foscarini, Venice
Istituto Omnicomprensivo Fabio Besta, Orte (VT)
IIS Via Salvo D’Acquisto 69 / Mancinelli-Falconi, Velletri
IIS Blaise Pascal – Pomezia
Liceo Einstein – Cerignola
Liceo Scientifico Vito Volterra, Ciampino
LSS Aristotele, Roma
Liceo Linguistico “G. Falcone” di Bergamo
Liceo Scientifico “Luigi Siciliani”, Catanzaro
Liceo Classico Statale “G. Carducci”, Milano
Find out about JCU’s Programs for High Schools, all offered in English and free of charge.
