Art is a requirement. Business doesn't exist. The lack of attention in the classroom, due also in large part to budget restraints virtually everywhere, has brought about a proliferation of organizations and companies whose goals are to teach youngsters about the business world. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership has training programs from kindergarten though community college. During the summer, it offers a seven-day EntrePrep program for high school juniors that teaches how to start and run a business.
Kids also can earn a profit selling environmentally friendly products.
Many children are simply born entrepreneurs, though anyone can develop into one with the right support, says Kourilsky, of the entrepreneurial center. They're born with the proclivity. It's like athletes. Some have a lot of talent, but if they don't have a good coach it's not going to be realized. Neale Godfrey, who runs the Children's Financial Network in Mountain Lakes, N.J., and has written several books about kids and money, agrees, adding that youngsters often excel if they pursue what they love and have adults to support and guide them.