Your Piece of the Pie

As the job market evolves, employers look for individuals with entrepreneurial skills such as confidence, creative thinking, relationship building and leadership. Your Piece of the Pie: Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs (YPOP) is a 4th – 6th grade project-based learning program that teaches students these skills, as well as entrepreneurial vocabulary and how entrepreneurs can benefit their economy by creating and/or innovating solutions.

YPOP is segmented into four, interconnected, sequential lessons, approximately 60 minutes each, and the first lesson can be conducted independently of the program, which is currently available in its entirety in the Kansas City metro area.

Program Overview

YPOP is free and available to 4th – 6th grade teachers in metropolitan Kansas City and inspires future entrepreneurs and leaders through literature, multimedia and visits from community professionals. All materials are classroom-ready and provided to participating teachers and volunteers. The program is available during both the fall and spring semesters and includes four interconnected lessons, two that are teacher led and two that are volunteer led.

Your Piece of the Pie was created and continues to be supported through the External LinkFederal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, External LinkJohnson County Public Library, External LinkKCSourceLink, External LinkMid-Continent Public Library and External LinkUMKC Office of Financial Literacy. In 2015, this group of federal, state and local organizations came together to introduce entrepreneurship to fifth grade students in some of Kansas City's low- to moderate-income school districts. An interactive program was designed using teaching principles from the Federal Reserve Bank's Teach Children to Save program and UMKC's Center for Economic Education programs. Since its launch, YPOP has reached over 1,500 students in the Kansas City metro area.

Program Schedule

YPOP is available in Kansas City during both the fall and spring semesters. A training session is held for teachers and volunteers at the beginning of each semester at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Training provides an opportunity for teachers and volunteers to connect, to decide on a start date and to receive all necessary materials and other key information for facilitating the program. Repeat teachers and volunteers can pick up their materials during training but do not need to complete training again. Timing for each lesson should be mutually agreeable to the teacher and volunteer.
                                  
Learn more about program and training dates for this semester by contacting ypop@kc.frb.org.

For Teachers

Lesson 1

This lesson focuses on introducing the concept of entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs solve a problem through the creation and/or innovation of a good or service. Students listen to a story called Sweet Potato Pie by Kathleen Lindsey and complete vocabulary and economic story map activities, followed by an activity that pairs essential vocabulary with elements of the story.

• Teacher version
• Student version
• Volunteer version
• Lesson 1 Presentation
• Economic Story Map handout

Lesson 2

The second part of the program allows students to review essential entrepreneurial vocabulary and to learn about real-life entrepreneurs through video and non-fiction informational text. Students apply their knowledge of an entrepreneurial concept through a game and in cooperative groups, describe factors that real-life entrepreneurs address through their business.

Lesson 3

The third part of the program concentrates on the development of a business model outline based on the students’ original entrepreneurial ideas. Students will work in small groups to develop a product and complete a business model outline that details the problem their product will solve, the productive resources needed to develop their product and other key steps in creating a business.

For Volunteers

Volunteers conduct Lessons 1 and 4 of the program and are provided with all necessary materials, including how to deliver each lesson. No prior experience is necessary and the program provides an opportunity to impact future leaders.

Lesson 1: The first part of the program focuses on introducing the concept of entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs solve a problem through the creation or innovation of a good or service. Students listen to a story called Sweet Potato Pie and complete vocabulary and economic story map activities, followed by an activity that pairs essential vocabulary with elements of the story.

Lesson 4: The fourth part of the program emphasizes the presentation of the students’ entrepreneurial ideas to their volunteer and peers along with a peer review of others’ ideas. Students share key elements about their product and their business plan outline and vote on their favorite business idea.

Each of the lessons is about 60 minutes in length and students may decide to include visuals and/or prototypes within their presentations.

Volunteers can register for the current semester’s program by contacting ypop@kc.frb.org to express interest.