[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 71 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3458-H3460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 699) supporting the goals and ideals of 
National Entrepreneurship Week and encouraging the implementation of 
entrepreneurship education programs in elementary and secondary schools 
and institutions of higher education through the United Sates.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 699

       Whereas according to the Department of Labor, most of the 
     new jobs created throughout the United States in the past 
     decade have come from the creative efforts of entrepreneurs 
     and small businesses, which have been expanding and advancing 
     technology and fueling the recent growth in the economy;
       Whereas entrepreneurs have been the source of economic 
     innovation throughout the history of the Nation, and the 
     entire society has been improved because of the new ways of 
     doing things that have been brought about by people who 
     market their ideas;
       Whereas economically independent entrepreneurs are engaged 
     citizens who work to improve the economic environment in 
     their local communities, providing better opportunities for 
     businesses to operate and a better environment for the human 
     resources they need to advance their business dreams;
       Whereas 70 percent of high school students want to become 
     entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial skills will assist 
     students in the future regardless of whether they work in a 
     business owned by others or run their own business;
       Whereas the high interest of students in becoming 
     entrepreneurs and the critical role entrepreneurs have played 
     in advancing the national economy make it vital for the 
     Nation's schools to provide students with training in the 
     skills which will enable them to become the entrepreneurs of 
     the future;
       Whereas the Partnership For 21st Century Skills identified 
     financial, economic, business literacy, and entrepreneurship 
     skills as the types of skills students must have in order to 
     enhance workplace productivity and career options;

[[Page H3459]]

       Whereas exposing students to the types of market-driven 
     problems faced by entrepreneurs is an excellent example of 
     how educators can use problem-based learning strategies to 
     prepare students for the situations they will encounter in 
     the future, an approach recommended by the National Council 
     on Competitiveness in its 2004 report entitled `` Innovate 
     America'';
       Whereas entrepreneurship education provides exactly the 
     type of academic engagement of all students promoted by the 
     National High School Alliance, based on relevant real-world 
     contexts that build on community assets, allow participation 
     in workplace-based learning, and include performance-based 
     assessments;
       Whereas entrepreneurship education has been shown to be 
     especially effective in closing the achievement gap between 
     minority students and others in public schools;
       Whereas students who participate in entrepreneurship 
     education programs have better attendance records, perform 
     better on core subjects, and have lower dropout rates than 
     those who do not participate in these programs;
       Whereas successful programs in entrepreneurship education 
     have been established in many States, including the public-
     private partnership program in North Carolina by the Center 
     for 21st Century Skills, which helps students acquire the 
     knowledge and skills needed for success in the global economy 
     and which has been touted as a national model for education 
     in the 21st century;
       Whereas the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has assembled 
     a multidisciplinary panel of distinguished scholars who will 
     evaluate relevant research and review what has been learned 
     in the many existing programs on entrepreneurship under way 
     throughout the United States in order to provide 
     recommendations for a comprehensive approach to teaching 
     entrepreneurship in colleges and universities;
       Whereas the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has 
     contributed significant time and resources to create the 
     Kauffman Campuses program to make entrepreneurship education 
     a common and accessible campus-wide opportunity that is an 
     integral part of the college experience;
       Whereas the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education has 
     developed and nurtured a lifelong entrepreneurship education 
     model to encourage students' awareness of entrepreneurship as 
     a career option throughout their years of school and to 
     assist entrepreneurs as they implement their entrepreneurial 
     ideas;
       Whereas the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education has 
     lead the initiative to broadly define the field of 
     entrepreneurship through 403 performance indicators to guide 
     the delivery of entrepreneurship education in support of the 
     lifelong learning model;
       Whereas, through the initiative to observe annually 
     National Entrepreneurship Week, the Ewing Marion Kauffman 
     Foundation, the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, 
     and partner organizations promote awareness of the 
     contributions of entrepreneurs as innovators, positive forces 
     in the economy, and important resources for improving 
     communities as places to live and work; and
       Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week will focus on the 
     innovative ways in which entrepreneurship education can bring 
     together the core academic, technical, and problem solving 
     skills essential for future entrepreneurs and successful 
     workers in future workplaces: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) encourages the implementation of entrepreneurship 
     education throughout the United States;
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of National 
     Entrepreneurship Week so that the people of the United States 
     are reminded of the contributions of entrepreneurs and so 
     that educators are encouraged to reflect on how 
     entrepreneurship education can improve the performance of 
     their students; and
       (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the Federal Government, State and Local 
     governments, schools, nonprofit organization, and others to 
     observe National Entrepreneurship Week annually with special 
     events in support of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship 
     education programs.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.


                             General Leave

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 699.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 699, a resolution to 
support the goals and ideals of National Entrepreneurship Week and 
encourage the implementation of entrepreneurship education programs in 
elementary and secondary education schools and institutions of higher 
education throughout the United States.
  I want to congratulate the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Price), as well as House Committee on 
Education and the Workforce Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Miller, 
as well as the leadership in both parties in working to move this 
resolution to the floor in such a bipartisan fashion.
  This is a very important resolution because it supports the goals and 
ideal of National Entrepreneurship Week and encourages creation of 
entrepreneurship education programs in elementary and secondary 
schools. The future strength of our economy depends on our youth and 
upon developing new businesses, which essentially is what 
entrepreneurship is all about. From lawn mowing businesses to baby 
sitting, most youths have been entrepreneurs at one time or another. 
Unfortunately, formal entrepreneurial education is not always available 
to young people.
  Several studies have been done on the interests that young people 
have in entrepreneurship. For example, in their book, ``The E 
Generation: Prepared for the Entrepreneurial Economy,'' Marilyn 
Kourilsky and William Walstad explain that youth are overwhelmingly 
interested in entrepreneurship. In fact, they found that six out of 10 
young people aspire to start a business of their own.
  The Gallup Organization, in conjunction with the Kauffman Foundation, 
conducted the first national poll on entrepreneurship. What they found 
was that 70 percent of students polled wanted to start their own 
business.

                              {time}  1430

  Now, this would be primarily at the high school level. Yet only 44 
percent had any basic knowledge concerning entrepreneurship. In other 
words, they wanted to start a business, but they had no idea as to how 
to do it.
  Youth entrepreneurs provide added stimulus to the local economy. 
Student entrepreneurial endeavors help to foster youth retention by 
providing youth the opportunity to contribute and invest in their home 
communities. As young people build and grow businesses within a 
community, they are more likely to stay and invest in a community's 
future.
  Where this has been tremendously important has been in rural areas. 
We have all seen many small towns that continue to unravel, lose young 
people, lose population, and in the district that I represent we have 
seen this graphically. So we find that probably the best way to 
revitalize rural America is to provide entrepreneurial training, 
entrepreneurial skills, so some people can stay there and survive and 
young people can start a business.
  There are a number of academic reasons to integrate entrepreneurship 
training into curriculum as well. Entrepreneurship training can be 
successfully integrated into traditional course work by incorporating 
hands-on business activities in a traditional classroom and textbook 
instruction. For example, writing marketing materials, business plans, 
can improve English skills. Sales and accounting can improve math 
skills. Developing manufacturing processes for products can be 
incorporated in a science class. True entrepreneurial education 
integrates hands-on business developments into the school system.
  So we find that it is possible to build entrepreneurial training into 
the curriculum in a school. And when this happens, some really good 
things begin to happen.
  Entrepreneurship education has a positive effect on the academic 
performance of students according to a study conducted by Howard 
Rasheed, a business professor at the University of Florida. Students 
with entrepreneurship training scored better in a number of academic 
subjects, including reading, math, social studies, and language. Also, 
attendance improves, dropout rates decrease, and it also helps close 
the achievement gap between minority students and the rest of the 
student body. So there is a tremendous academic contribution that 
entrepreneurial training provides.
  I have worked throughout my time in Congress to encourage Nebraska 
schools to adopt entrepreneurship programs, and many have. I am pleased 
to

[[Page H3460]]

have had the opportunity to be involved in numerous entrepreneurship 
efforts across the State of Nebraska, including NETFORCE, which is 
working to develop a curriculum that is sponsored through Nebraska's 
community college system.
  H.R. 699 encourages more schools to adopt entrepreneurship programs 
and supports the goals of National Entrepreneurship Week. I strongly 
support this resolution and urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Nebraska in support of a 
resolution to support National Entrepreneurship Week. I rise in support 
of H. Res. 699 and thank Mr. Price of North Carolina for introducing 
this resolution.
  H. Res. 699 calls on the President to issue a proclamation 
recognizing National Entrepreneurship Week and to encourage all levels 
of government to observe National Entrepreneurship Week annually with 
special events in support of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship 
education programs.
  Entrepreneurship education has long been an integral part of career 
and technical education programs in high schools across the country. 
While students may have difficulties defining ``entrepreneur,'' it is 
clear that, when surveyed, young people understand the concepts behind 
entrepreneurship and actively seek out similar opportunities.
  According to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, 
entrepreneurship education programs are providing opportunities for 
young people to master competencies in concepts such as how to 
recognize opportunities, how to generate ideas and marshal resources in 
the face of risk, to pursue opportunities, venture creation and 
operation, and creativity as well as critical thinking.
  Mr. Speaker, students who participate in entrepreneurship education 
learn not just the skills for making smart business decisions; they 
also learn how to become more involved in their community through civic 
engagement and participation. And as the resolution points out, 
students who participate in these programs have better attendance 
records, perform better on core subjects, and have lower dropout rates 
than those who do not participate in these programs.
  Mr. Speaker, entrepreneurs represent one of the fastest growing 
business sectors in our global marketplace. The establishment of a week 
recognizing the role of entrepreneurs in our economy will continue to 
help inform young people about the opportunities for success in this 
global marketplace.
  Again, I want to thank Mr. Price for introducing this important 
legislation, and I urge its support.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of my time 
to Mr. David Price, who introduced this resolution, from the great 
State of North Carolina.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank the gentleman for yielding, Mr. 
Speaker, and I rise in support of H. Res. 699, a resolution I sponsored 
with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), and many other 
colleagues. The resolution supports the goals and ideals of National 
Entrepreneurship Week.
  More than 70 percent of American high school students say they would 
like to open their own business someday. Over 10 percent of American 
adults are actively planning to become entrepreneurs in their local 
communities. These figures indicate the strong entrepreneurial 
inclination of many Americans. Yet while many people have an interest 
in starting a new business, only a fraction of these actually make the 
attempt.
  Entrepreneurial education brings together the core academic, 
technical, and problem-solving skills needed for future entrepreneurs. 
Individuals who receive entrepreneurship training are not only more 
likely to start a business, but they are also more likely to enjoy 
success with such a new venture.
  H. Res. 699 would support the goals and the ideals of National 
Entrepreneurship Week and the implementation of entrepreneurship 
education programs in elementary and secondary schools and in 
institutions of higher education. National Entrepreneurship Week would 
consist of a national series of celebrations, business plan 
competitions, and other community events to nurture entrepreneurship 
and to engage young people in the opportunities available to them as 
future business owners.
  In short, Mr. Speaker, National Entrepreneurship Week offers the 
opportunity to recognize the societal contributions of America's 
leading entrepreneurs and to encourage those with a dream to become 
entrepreneurs.
  I am fortunate to have several organizations in my home State of 
North Carolina that effectively promote entrepreneurship in varied 
ways. For example, the North Carolina Rural Center, the North Carolina 
Community College System, the North Carolina Department of Public 
Instruction, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 
working together to develop a system of education for youth and adults 
that ensures anyone who seeks advice or assistance on starting a 
business gets the help they need.
  The Small Business and Technology Development Centers and the SCORE 
program, run by retired executives, help new entrepreneurs translate 
their aspirations into reality. ``Marketplace,'' a forum which I joined 
colleagues in starting years ago in the Triangle area of North 
Carolina, introduces entrepreneurs to opportunities in government 
contracting.
  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Entrepreneurship 
Club is dedicated to encouraging entrepreneurship among students by 
connecting them with local entrepreneurs, professors, and support 
organizations. The North Carolina Center for 21st Century Skills is the 
first of its kind in the Nation to help elementary and secondary public 
school students acquire the knowledge and the skills needed for success 
in the global economy.
  The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education continues its work to 
make entrepreneurship education a formal part of the American 
curriculum in each school district and educational institution, and I 
want to commend the consortium for their leadership role in developing 
and promoting the resolution before us today.
  I also want to thank Representatives Tom Osborne and Danny Davis and 
their staffs, as well as the bipartisan staff of the Education and the 
Workforce Committee, for their contributions to this effort, this 
effort to call attention to the need for encouraging our young people 
to become entrepreneurs.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentleman from 
North Carolina and Mr. Davis, and as I have no further speakers, I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 699.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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