OIL CITY, Pa. — The Venango County Economic Development Authority launched its eAcademy this week.

(Photo (l-r): Venango County Commissioner Vince Witherhup; Taylor Snyder, who will be an instructor at the eAcademy; Emily Donaldson Deputy Director of the Venango County Planning Commission; Venango County Commissioner Tim Brooks; and Jason Ruggerio, Executive Director of the Venango County Planning Commission, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the eAcademy on Wednesday. Submitted photo by Venango Area Chamber of Commerce)

The eAcademy is a program for high school seniors created through a collaborative partnership involving the Venango County Economic Development Authority, the County of Venango, Clarion University Venango Campus, the eCenter @ LindenPointe and six local school districts. The eAcademy at Venango is an expansion of the existing, highly successful, eAcademy @ LindenPointe. This expansion program will use the same award-winning curriculum and education structure as the eAcademy @ LindenPointe.

According to the Venango County website for the program, there is no exact procedure that guarantees success in entrepreneurship education and training. Yet there is a common thread – that a mindset guides the decisions empowering entrepreneurs. For the purposes of this program, the term “entrepreneurial mindset” is defined as the underlying beliefs and philosophies that drive the behavior empowering entrepreneurs to succeed. This course also takes the approach that anyone, not just those who want to start businesses, can benefit from understanding and applying an entrepreneurial mindset to any situation that demands change in their life. This program is designed to immerse you in learning about economic development, your local region, and the essential aspects of the unlimited opportunities a different way of thinking can provide. As you learn the academic knowledge, the startup methodology, and your individual skill sets you will apply it all to the creation of a startup business with a working prototype.

“Much like the eAcademy @ LindenPointe, students who participate in the eAcademy at Venango will combine academic knowledge, a startup methodology, and their individual skill sets to the joint creation of a startup business with a prototype within one school year,” the site says. “With 75 percent facilitation and 25 percent lecture this program structure is new to most students as Allison, a current student of the eAcademy @ LindenPointe notices, “The experience is definitely something new for me and I am able to get a better grasp on how the outside world works.” Students are selected from high schools in the Venango region based on an application process. Selected students spend part of their day at their regular high schools and part of their day Monday – Thursday during the school year at the eAcademy. eAcademy at Venango classes will be held at Clarion Venango Campus in Oil City.

The program offers an optional college course for students enrolled in the eAcademy. Students are given the opportunity to take a business-related college course offered through Clarion University at the Clarion Venango Campus on Friday afternoons. While there is not a minimum GPA requirement, “college partners like to see a 3.0 (2.5 with a recommendation) if the student wants to participate in the optional college classes.”

Enrollment is still open.

Learn more by visiting www.co.venango.pa.us/672/learn — with Taylor Ann, Emily Donaldson and Jason Ruggiero at Clarion University — Venango.