(Monterrey, Mexico, September 1, 2017] –Since 2014, the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) and Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (TEC) have partnered to successfully deliver entrepreneurial mindset curriculum to approximately 7,500 high school students across 37 campuses in Mexico.
The partnership consisted of customizing ELI’s Ice House Student Success Program for delivery in Mexico, the training of approximately 200 teachers at TEC’s Preparatory school (Prepa Tec) to facilitate the program and establishing outcomes and evaluations tools to measure the impact.
The program was customized to align with TEC’s vision of producing graduates who have an entrepreneurial spirit, a humanistic outlook, and are internationally competitive. Above all, the goal was to see an increase in student engagement, a shift towards an entrepreneurial mindset, and the development of 21st Century skills.
A final outcomes report was unveiled at Prepa Tec’s Annual Conference in Mexico City, and the results were astounding. Highlights include:
- 97% of teachers thought the program was impactful
- 8 out of 10 students were engaged in the program
- 99% of students successfully passed the course
- Only 18 out of 7,404 students dropped the course
- 94% of teachers recommended continued use of the program
- 3 out of 4 teachers indicated the program impacted them personally
Through this customized program, Prepa Tec students developed their entrepreneurial mindset to become internationally competitive. That is to say, 9 out of 10 students agreed that they were able to embrace and apply an entrepreneurial mindset after taking the program. As a result, nearly 90% of students agreed that they developed and applied skills such as communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Parents took notice as well with 85% reporting a positive change in their child’s disposition to solve problems and think creatively about possible solutions. Of 1,903 parent respondents, 82% of parents agreed that their child had a stronger focus on school, a better attitude toward academics, and was more engaged in his or her studies. In addition, 86% of Prepa Tec parents indicated that their child took ownership of their learning.
Students also reported an increase in their engagement and greater ownership of their future. One student reported that “the program is giving me the tools to fulfill my goals and personal vision, since through the lessons, I have learned to make good choices, to see opportunities instead of problems and to take action.”
Notably, students seemed eager to mention the utility of the program in their daily lives, as it helped them think of themselves as an entrepreneur, determine their goals, and clarify their vision. In relation to this, the course was well-timed for several students, sharing that it came at perhaps a formative time in their identity development.
One student commented: “We all have an idea of what we want in our future but actually sitting down and writing about it made us students realize not only the importance but the timing, which is now. Life just started, college is months away. And that’s why this class is one of my top 3 most impacting classes I had in high school.”
The full outcomes report includes an analysis of over 20,000 responses from teachers, students, and parents. View the full outcomes report here.
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