INCubator Entrepreneur Program at LZHS

Why Entrepreneurship? 

The jobs of our future are unknown, and therefore it’s more important than ever to nurture and teach students critical skills and behaviors of entrepreneurs: creativity, opportunity recognition, self-motivation, adaptability. Entrepreneurs are opportunistic collaborators who learn from experimentation and failure along the way. 

The Curriculum 

Uncharted Learning entrepreneurship curriculum provides true engagement in a learn-by-doing, real-world setting. Students learn and apply business start-up practices and concepts to projects they’re passionate about.  They build, test, learn, apply – embracing the cycle of experimentation, which is core to entrepreneurship and great training ground for life — they get comfortable with failing and learning from failure.  Working in teams and being supported by a dynamic mix of teachers, coaches, and mentors, all translates to deeper learning and skill building. Lake Zurich D95 offers a pathway of student entrepreneurial experiences: freshINCedu (Elementary), mxINCedu (Middle), INCubatoredu/ACCELeratoredu (High).

Students Learn How To...
  • Collaborate with a Team
    freshinedu, mxincedu, incubatoredu, acceleratoredu
  • Apply the Cycle of Experimentation to Find Solutions to Complex Problems
  • Speak Confidently and Persuasively 
  • Leverage Curiosity and Creativity to Drive Solutions
The Student Experience
  • Authentic:  Students learn and practice industry-based skills, in a real-world environment – not a simulation
  • Experiential:  Project-based learning (PBL) for engagement and deeper learning 
  • Connected:  Connected to community & industry and ‘the what’ and ‘the why’ they are learning.

INCubatoredu at LZHS

incubatoredu@lzhs

Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 offers students an authentic, collaborative entrepreneurship experience with INCubatoredu. Throughout the course, students work in teams to brainstorm, design, and develop their own product or service in attempt to be awarded seed money from a board of investors to turn their plans into reality. The design of this course is similar to the ABC television show, "Shark Tank.” Community entrepreneurs and business experts serve as volunteer coaches and mentors guiding student teams through the process of developing hypotheses about business concepts and product ideas. In the final presentation, student teams have the opportunity to earn actual funding to produce and further develop their product or service and launch their business. Student teams who earn funding may continue to the second year of the program, ACCELeratoredu.

2024 LZHS Incubator Pitch Night
   Click here to learn more about the LZHS INCubator Final Pitch Night! 

Acceleratoredu at LZHS

acceleratoredu@lzhs

This full year course is designed as a second year program for teams that completed INCubatoredu year 1 and received funding at the pitch event. The goal is to guide students toward a successful launch of the company and gain traction in the market place. Content is built from real life entrepreneurial practices. New business ventures share many themes while still carrying in specific products or services provided.