This program is limited to 24 participants selected on the basis of a competitive application. The application must answer the questions: 1) Why do you want to enroll in an entrepreneurial program, and 2) What abilities do you have that a startup team would find valuable?
Experience the first year of a Start Up in one week! Startup Academy is an action-packed accelerator game about entrepreneurship for high school students. It realistically simulates starting a new tech business from scratch: developing an idea, finding partners, building a team, creating a business model, designing marketing plans, raising investment, and sales. Participants will use teamwork and problem solving to overcome challenges that occur during a start-up. This program is presented by IMSA TALENT (Total Applied Learning for Entrepreneurs) and is a great springboard for contests like IMSA's Power Pitch competition. Program includes a field trip to 1871, Chicago’s incubator for digital startups.
This is a selective enrollment program for students entering grades 9-10 in fall 2017.
Date: July 23-28, 2017**
Location: Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL
Cost: $938
**This program runs Monday through Friday, however participants arrive Sunday evening.
Final Application deadline: May 31, 2017. Please submit full application by March 1. Acceptance decisions will be made by March 8.
Scholarship Application deadline: March 1, 2017. Please submit full application by March 1. Acceptance decisions will be made by March 8.
NOTE: You may choose to either pay for apply for the program OR apply for a scholarship and await award notification. Scholarship applications will not be accepted along with an application for paid registration.
Limited need-based scholarships are available! Proof of eligibility in the State Free or Reduced Lunch Program is required. Online scholarship applications open February 14, 2017. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for a $30 administrative fee.
*Applying for a scholarship does not guarantee an award or registration into the summer program. To qualify and apply for a scholarship, the student is required to submit proof of eligibility: proof of participation in a free or reduced lunch program, OR proof of parent's income. WATCH YOUR EMAIL and CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER! Award recipients will be notified via email and must reply to scholarship offer within time period indicated in email.
Refund Policy
Please choose your programs carefully. For residential programs, full refunds (less a $30 processing fee) will be given for requests received by March 31, 2017. After this date through April 30, 2017, a partial refund (50%) will be provided for residential programs. No refund requests for residential programs received after April 30, 2017 will be honored. For day programs, full refunds (less a $30 processing fee) will be provided for requests received through April 30. After this date through May 31, 2017, a partial refund (50%) will be provided. No refund requests for day programs received after May 31 will be honored. ALL requests for refunds must be made in writing. You can direct requests by email to studentenrichment@imsa.edu. Please include the program name and date, your child’s name, and your name. Phone call requests for refunds will not be accepted.
