We already live in a world where organs can be 3D printed and people are signing up to colonise Mars. Tomorrow’s world will be something beyond our imagination...
There is one part of our society, however,
that hasn’t changed much in nearly a century. The education system
today still
teaches kids in much the same way it taught their parents.
Isn’t it time for an upgrade? But an education doesn't have to
be about sitting in a stuffy classroom does it? That's why I, along
with my start-up co-founders Andrey and David, decided that it was time
to do something different to educate and inspire the next generation of
entrepreneurs through a comic book - My First Startup.
It may
appear as excessive self-confidence that we could solve such a big
education issue with a comic book, but that's why we're entrepreneurs –
people who do what others consider crazy and impossible.
We chose comic books and targeted such
young kids for a reason. Growing up, many kids want to become
superheroes, discoverers, even pirates. Entrepreneurs are the embodiment
of those dreams. It’s just that all the continents are already
discovered – so today’s discoverers go into space or try to invent a
flying car.
It’s the same thirst for adventure, with the same
appetite for risk and desire to do something big with their life. Plus,
much in creating the business requires the skills of superheroes and
adventurers kids see in cartoons and comic books. So it’s natural for me
to create My First Startup as a comic book, where creating a business
is the path of a superhero, with all the obstacles and triumphs that go
with such an adventure.
We have a long history with comic
books, for several years now we have created custom comic books, whether
as gifts, marketing or educational materials. So we know how much
better comic books tell a story. Actually, this is not the first
business for all three of the co-founders, so we have quite a bit of
experience to share with the kids – for them to learn from our mistakes.
It’s
important to note that entrepreneurial education is not just about
business skills – My First Startup, for example, helps develop kids’
decision-making skills, time management skills, nurturing a sense of
responsibility for own actions, empowering them with the thought that an
obstacle is not necessarily the end of an endeavor, and more lessons
that every kid should learn to succeed in life.
Let’s empower
our kids – before they are told to stop dreaming. Let’s give them the
tools and encouragement to take their future financial success into
their own hands. Our kids are a blank slate full of brilliant ideas and
boundless optimism. So how do we encourage them to make dreams into
reality?
Right now, My First Startup is live on Kickstarter
to raise awareness of youth entrepreneurial education. What’s next for
My First Startup after Kickstarter? Putting the comic book into the
hands of schools and children’s leadership organisations would make
sense. Ultimately, a comic book is one way to teach kids
entrepreneurship but hopefully one that will inspire a new generation.
And what happens later, we'll only know if we keep moving forward.
Because moving forward is the only way for an entrepreneur.
SOURCE http://www.virgin.com/disruptors/educating-a-new-generation-of-entrepreneurs-through-comic-books
This is a guest blog and may not represent the views of Virgin.com. Please see virgin.com/terms for more details.
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