The Leader Within 2026 IBEA Fall Convention

Ready to turn students into the next generation of powerhouse entrepreneurs? This session is your blueprint for teaching entrepreneurship while weaving in work-based learning experiences that actually matter for long-term success. We’ll dive into the best practices that break down the walls of where learning happens, engaging the community to spark economic vitality. Let’s bring the real world into the classroom and the classroom into the real world.
This session will build bridges between entrepreneurship, work-based learning, place-making, and community engagement. Participants will learn ways that the HS entrepreneurship classroom can be leveraged and utilized as a hub for student-centered, problem-based, and community-connected learning. Participants will learn about the Innovative Leader Credential that HS students can earn through demonstration of leadership skills such as creative thinking, collaboration, decision-making, emotional intelligence, resilience. Participants will leave with an actionable plan to leverage entrepreneurial learning and leadership development across their schools.