Ocean Springs High School Implements New Program from Uncharted Learning

The INCubatoredu, a program just added to Ocean Springs High School (OSHS) this year, offers an authentic entrepreneurship experience for students interested in a future career in business. OSHS is the first school in Mississippi to offer the advanced entrepreneurship program from Uncharted Learning. Students spend a semester working alongside local entrepreneurs and business coaches, who serve as their mentor as they progress through the program. Students learn through the startup process of development, business concept, product testing and rollout. By course completion, the students will create and present a business product or service to a panel of judges, similar to “Shark Tank.” Whichever final project ‘wins’, the group will submit their product to Uncharted Learning’s national competition that takes place in Chicago in July.

Jim Brennan is the facilitator for the entrepreneurship program, who helped choose students to participate in the first semester of the course. Brennan also works to connect his students with leaders who can double as mentors for on-going projects. “These kids can do amazing things if we just provide them with the resources and that’s what we’re doing with the Incubator program,” Brennan told WLOX news.

One group of students introduced a new nonprofit organization to the local community. The students are the first in the class to envision a non-profit business idea. The group recently raised money through a bake sale and those proceeds will fund hygiene bags for homeless individuals in the city.