A group of 17 Chatham County children are learning the valuable skill of creating a piece of artwork on their own this week at camp.
Moms and grandmothers are surely overjoyed at the development.
On Tuesday, the group was making jewelry during a Youth Entrepreneur Camp at the African American Health Information and Resource Center at St. Joseph’s Candler Hospital. The camp is one of two camps being offered to children between the ages of 8 and 11 throughout the summer. Last week, children participated in the Healthy Kids Cooking Camp, which taught them how to read recipes and make healthy meals.
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During the week, children learned what it means to be an entrepreneur, how to come up with a business plan, how to network with other entrepreneurs, what it takes to come up with a budget and advertising for a business.
The camps were held virtually for the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The center’s director, Ella Williamson, said the purpose of the camp is to help children find their voice, purpose and place in the community through entrepreneurship. She said the camp is helping kids to think about their future.
“These young people have great minds and have great ideas,” she said. “The entrepreneur camp is just an opportunity to encourage them to stretch themselves and dream about what they can do and be in the near future.”
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Williamson said teaching children about entrepreneurship at a younger age helps address the issue of poverty in the Black community and learn about building personal wealth.
“Children having the opportunity to start their own business is a great way sometimes to help them to navigate out of a path,” she said. “Learning about entrepreneurship is a great way to build wealth,” she said.
“So I’m doing the entrepreneur camp because my sister and my mom are starting a business,” 10-year-old Janiyah Perry said. She wants to help her mom start a clothing business that will incorporate the zodiac signs, she added.
10-year-old student Tiana Gayle said over the last two days of the camp, she has learned how to make jewelry, become an entrepreneur and how to create a business. For her business, she wants to start a YouTube channel so she can teach others how to play video games.
“I’m gonna be a YouTuber and have fun on the channel,” she said.
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Williamson said she hopes the camp will give children the tools to start a business and and prepare them for their career goals. “The entrepreneur camp is just an opportunity to demonstrate to them what they can do when they do grow up.”
The center will have other camp sessions on the following dates, which will be held from 9 a.m. to noon.
Youth Entrepreneur Camps
Healthy Kids Cooking Camps
Those who are interested can call 912-447-6600.
Bianca Moorman is the education reporter. Reach her at BMoorman@gannett.com or 912-239-7706. Find her on Twitter @biancarmoorman.
