Meghan A. Timlin, Coordinator
The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School is excited to welcome all students who are interested in exploring the areas of entrepreneurship, business, and finance. The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy is the newest academy program offered within the Virginia Beach City Public School system and is housed in the community-rich Kempsville High School. The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy offers a rigorous academic curricula with business-themed concepts integrated into core courses as well as specialized elective course offerings. Students will pursue one of three strands within the program of study: Business Information Technology, Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The academy provides students multiple opportunities to receive college-preparatory academic course work through multiple dual enrollment and advanced placement course offerings. During their senior year, students will complete an internship in a business-related field of their choice providing them an exciting learning experience outside of the classroom. The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School offers students the opportunity for in-depth personalized study of one of three curriculum strands: Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Business Information Technology and Corporate Finance. Through the selection of a specific strand, students will be immersed in experiential and meaningful coursework that prepares them for the world of business. A hallmark of the academy program is the Maker Space that all students will have access and exposure to during their studies within the academy. Through the creation of the Maker Space and courses surrounding the Maker Space, students are able to develop the ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ and discover the importance of creating and producing in all industries.
Students attending the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School will be eligible to receive the state Board of Education’s Governor’s Seal. The diploma seal will be awarded to students who satisfy all the requirements for the Advanced Studies diploma with a B grade point average or better and successfully complete at least one advanced placement (AP) or college-level credit course.
Students enrolled in the EBA must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher to remain in good standing with the academy. Students who do not maintain the minimum GPA requirement will be placed on an academic contract to assist them in achieving success.
Through their experience within the Academy students will explore the entrepreneurship, business and financial disciplines and acquire skills necessary to succeed in business and finance careers through course work, field trips, guest speakers, internships, mentorships, business partnerships, community service, and the development of a digital portfolio. The Academy will offer a pathway to all students who enter of pursuing and achieving an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Tidewater Community College during high school. Through offering at least twenty dual enrollment courses and multiple Advanced Placement courses students are sure to experience a rigorous academic experience that will prepare them to reach their goals after high school. Specific courses are required in order to meet the requirements needed to finish the Associates degree. Students must place appropriately on the Virginia Placement Test in Math and English prior to enrolling in any Dual Enrollment courses at Kempsville High School. Students must also be in good academic standing overall. Additionally, nationally recognized certifications through Microsoft, National Occupational Competency Testing Institute, National Retail Federation, in addition to other well-known agencies are available to every student in The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy, regardless of their strand selection. These industry certifications assist students in being competitive graduates as they apply for further education and/or enter the workforce. Partnerships are a cornerstone for success with the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy. Multiple partnerships with higher education institutions and local businesses are established. These relationships continue to grow and more partnerships have been created in order to meet the needs of all students. The partnerships will provide experiential learning experiences to students in addition to providing them on-the-job training through internship and mentorship opportunities. The Academy is proud of the role that partners will play in training the future business leaders.
All students within the academy complete a senior internship in their last year of high school. Through the senior internship, students have the opportunity to spend instructional time working within the business-related field of their choice. The exposure to this on-the-job training experience provides the student an opportunity to identify real-world application of curriculum content and experiences. The requirements of the internship are the same for all students but the methods to complete the internship may be different based on the strand and student. The focus of the internship is work-related experience, networking, and enhanced educational opportunities. The internship experience culminates with a student research-based presentation regarding an issue or concern addressed within the business they are working and the student’s ability to provide solutions or ideas to assist the business in addressing that concern. This presentation will be delivered by the student, and members of the community, business and school are present to provide feedback and show support for the student’s work through the project.
The overall goal of the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy is to provide students the business skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in any career related fields of study in post-secondary education and in the workforce. Specific academy objectives include the following:
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SAMPLE COURSE OF STUDY – Sample Student Schedule |
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Grade 9 EBA Honors English 9 • Math • Science • Health/Physical Education 9 • World Language • EBA World Studies for Business or AP Human Geography • EBA Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Business and Information Technology • Optional Elective: EBA Critical Issues in Business Seminar (S) • EBA Idea Generation and Creative Problem Solving (S) |
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Grade 10 EBA Honors English 10 • Math • Science • Health/Physical Education 10 • World Language • EBA World Studies for Business II or AP European History |
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Courses based on Strand: |
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Business Information Technology |
Corporate Finance |
Entrepreneurship & Innovation |
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Computer Programming or AP Computer Science A or Basic Technical Drawing |
EBA Accounting |
EBA Incubator EDU |
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EBA Advanced Computer Information Systems |
EBA Business Law (S) EBA Corporate Finance (S) |
EBA Design for Entrepreneurs |
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Grade 11 Honors English 11or AP English Language • Math• Science • World Language • VA/US History, AP U.S. History or Dual Enrollment History |
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Courses based on Strand: |
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Business Information Technology |
Corporate Finance |
Entrepreneurship & Innovation |
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ATC Program (Students must apply and gain acceptance during their 10th grade year) |
Advanced Accounting or Dual Enrollment Principles of Accounting I & II |
EBA Accelerator EDU or Advanced Entrepreneur- ship & Innovation or Dual Enrollment Entrepreneurship & Dual Enrollment Introduction to International Business |
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Grade 12 Dual Enrollment English or AP English 12 • Math • Science • VA/US Government or AP Government • Economics/Personal Finance • EBA Senior Internship |
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Academy Electives & Additional Dual Enrollment Offerings: EBA Culinary Entrepreneurship • EBA Research and Writing • Dual Enrollment Principles of Public Speaking • Dual Enrollment Interpersonal Communication • Dual Enrollment Principles of Macroeconomics • Dual Enrollment Principles of Microeconomics• Dual Enrollment Precalculus I • Dual Enrollment Applied Calculus • Dual Enrollment Biology I & II • Dual Enrollment College Success Skills • Dual Enrollment Ethics • Dual Enrollment Introduction to Business • Dual Enrollment Leadership Development • Dual Enrollment Probability and Statistics for Business |
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Students will:
- successfully complete a sequential program of study that focuses on specific skills, knowledge and technology in the fields of entrepreneurship, business information technology and corporate finance.
- have opportunities to earn an Associate’s degree/post-secondary credit.
- exceed the objectives of Virginia Beach City Public Schools curricula and Commonwealth of Virginia Standards of Learning tests.
- participate in job shadowing, mentoring, and/or internship programs that extend, enrich, and refine student learning and create linkages with the academic and business communities.
- complete a long-term project through an internship/mentorship experience with a culminating presentation in the senior year featuring an in-depth study of an issue of related concern to their related industry and present ideas/solutions as viable options to address the issue to a panel of business and community leaders.