The Leader Within 2026 IBEA Fall Convention

Discover how Columbus is turning a traditional school concession stand into a dynamic, real-world learning experience. In this session, you'll explore how students in a work-based learning class are taking full ownership of the concession stand — managing everything from inventory and budgeting to marketing and customer service. You will hear first-hand from students about how this innovative approach develops critical career skills, fosters entrepreneurial thinking, and brings classroom concepts to life. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or program coordinator, this session offers practical insights into creating meaningful, student-led business opportunities within your school.
Handouts include: Powerpoint Notes, classroom activities, and other materials.

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.

This will be included on the SCHED event planning tool under your session title. Please think about topics and materials that can be taken back and be applied to the classroom for either high school or college level students.
It all began with a conversation in a previous IBEA conference lobby. What if we could bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world commerce by bringing business leaders directly to our students? That simple idea evolved into Trade Talks, an event series that gives students an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the business of organizing large-scale projects.
In this session, we will share the journey of conceiving and executing our Trade Talks series, from its informal beginning to its success as a professional development opportunity. We'll detail our process for connecting with industry partners and reveal how this initiative answers the common "when am I ever going to use this?" question for our students by providing them with tangible, real-world context for their curriculum. Attendees will leave with a clear roadmap for creating their own "bridge-building" events.