
powered by Engaging Creative Minds
Creating workforce ready youth able to create business, grow wealth and impact economic development since 2004.
In the fall of 2021, ECM merged with YEScarolina to create a K-12 pipeline of innovative programming. YEScarolina has helped thousands of students in grades 9-12 from communities statewide build business skills and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit. To date, YEScarolina has trained and certified over 1,000 South Carolina teachers on the subject of entrepreneurship. These educators, in turn, have touched and inspired tens of thousands of young South Carolinians with a thirst for entrepreneurship.
Business Plan Competitions
YEScarolina hosts in-school competitions and a state business plan competition. Students have the opportunity to participate in a series of business plan competitions as the capstone project of their entrepreneurship class. Students build their business plans over the course of their class. Once completed, they present their ideas to local businessmen and women serving as judges. The top students are eligible to win seed money ranging from $100 to $3,000 throughout the course of the competitions to help fund the creation of their businesses.


YES Teacher Certification
YEScarolina certifies South Carolina private and public school educators of grades 6-12 to teach Entrepreneurship. This curriculum, created by teachers for teachers, is a course that supports students who are at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey and prepares them to compete in YEScarolina’s annual State Business Plan Competition. The experiential curriculum includes hands-on activities and lesson plans that motivate and engage the learner. It is a curriculum designed to strategically give the learner the necessary building blocks to successfully complete a step-by-step business plan for in-class and state business plan competition.
YES Scholarships
In partnership with Trident Technical College, YEScarolina provides scholarships for the pursuit of post-secondary education. Eligible students are awarded up to $2,500 annually.
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Ron Motley Award
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Baker Motor Company Scholarship
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Bill Hall Culinary Entrepreneurship Scholarship
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Kathy Elsner Spirit Scholarship
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Jimmy Bailey Scholarship
