It’s All Business on Broom Street

Padua Academy is developing the next generation of female innovators

BY JENNIFER BELL

NESTLED IN THE HISTORIC Cool Springs neighborhood of Wilmington is an unsuspecting start-up fueling the imaginations and futures of teenage girls. Delaware’s entrepreneurs of tomorrow have quite literally set up shop at Padua Academy and are quickly proving it’s all business on Broom Street.

Sure other area secondary schools offer a business, entrepreneurship, or marketing elective, but at Padua, this junior-year elective serves as a prerequisite to putting ideas into action during their senior year in one of two experiential-based learning opportunities.

Seniors can interview for one of only eight slots in the highly competitive Business Leadership program. During this full-year elective, students run the school store under the supervision of teacher, Bethann Higley. This includes managing product development, sales and inventory both online and in-person, analytics, marketing, and other responsibilities.

“As they enter the workforce, our students will quickly realize how crucial communication, teamwork, and collaboration are to their success,” says Higley, who teaches all courses. “In Business Leadership, they are challenged every day to share their opinion and take into consideration other people’s perspective. Everybody has their own ideas on what to introduce to the store, but we have budgets, and they need to decide together what is a priority,” she continues. “Not only do they get a better understanding of how to run a business but they also experience personal growth that will stay with them for life.”

During the past academic year, Padua’s Business Leaders hosted two highly successful “sidewalk sales” that brought their behind-the-scenes efforts out to the public. Buyers are genuinely captivated by the fact that this isn’t your “mom’s school store” and everyone, including Padua’s Alumnae, are more inclined to buy items knowing their purchase is not only expanding their wardrobe, but helping young women recognize their potential in the business world.

As they enter the workforce, our students will quickly realize how crucial communication, teamwork, and collaboration are to their success.

— Bethann Higley

For those students solely interested in the business of ideation and implementation, this fall will mark the second year for Padua’s dual enrollment entrepreneurship elective in which seniors earn three college credits in partnership with the University of Delaware (UD).

The students begin with identifying a problem in life or the world and work on a solution to solve it with creative problem-solving and communication. The course culminates in the spring with students pitching their ideas during the Diamond Challenge, hosted by UD’s Horn Entrepreneurship program. The Diamond Challenge is a platform for teens from around the world to learn entrepreneurship, engage with a likeminded community and compete for $100,000 in awards.

This year’s Padua team of Maggie Morris and Grace Stout advanced to the semi-final round with their social venture, “Two Birds,” aimed at solving two problems at once—reducing food waste and food insecurity. Although an intense and high-pressure experience, it offers students an invaluable, first-hand look into the world of entrepreneurship and innovation, leaving many walking away inspired about the possibilities and opportunities that exist for them.

Business success resides in not thinking outside the box, but in recognizing there is no box. Padua has designed a learning environment that holds true to this belief. “Students express feeling a sense of accomplishment from bringing a product to life and seeing it sell well. Other students talk about how they grew more confident in sharing their voice,” Higley says. “These are all skills they can take forward and apply to any career they decide to pursue.”

Jennifer Bell is the communications coordinator at Padua Academy.