[Fall Quarter]
A Business Contest for Budding Entrepreneurs
For the 2020 fall quarter, aside from the usual project of having the students use Japanese to design and execute a project to benefit their local community, the following goals were added.
Goals:
Main Activities:
Using “Tabica” as a reference, the students designed “Experience Tours” and “Tour Guides” based on their own interests. (I also created a tour under the name “Takeda”).
The students submitted the proposals to the class contest and evaluated one another. The top 3 proposals received feedback from the Japanese entrepreneurs.
Results:
It was very interesting for the students to be able to connect with actual entrepreneurs. It was especially helpful to receive feedback on how to set a realistic budget and promote a business. The students were able to feel more connected to the entrepreneurs by listening to their stories of how they decided to become entrepreneurs, their business mottos, and their hardships. The students commented that by using the website, Tabica, they were able to learn how to design and write business proposals; skills that they could realistically use in the future.
Goals:
- To connect one’s own major and/or interests to Japan
- To invoke a sense of community
- To foster the mentality of an entrepreneur
- To develop the skills necessary to collaborate with others and solve problems
Main Activities:
- Introduce and connect students to 3 entrepreneurs in Japan (who will share their inspiration and hardships)
- Have students use Japanese to sell their skill sets / services from home
- Conduct a business contest (in which students will receive direct advice from entrepreneurs)
Using “Tabica” as a reference, the students designed “Experience Tours” and “Tour Guides” based on their own interests. (I also created a tour under the name “Takeda”).
The students submitted the proposals to the class contest and evaluated one another. The top 3 proposals received feedback from the Japanese entrepreneurs.
Results:
It was very interesting for the students to be able to connect with actual entrepreneurs. It was especially helpful to receive feedback on how to set a realistic budget and promote a business. The students were able to feel more connected to the entrepreneurs by listening to their stories of how they decided to become entrepreneurs, their business mottos, and their hardships. The students commented that by using the website, Tabica, they were able to learn how to design and write business proposals; skills that they could realistically use in the future.