Oakland Teacher Recognized for Committment to Entrepreneurship Education

Honored at annual NFTE awards dinner in New York.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 28, 2007 -- The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) today announced that a teacher from NFTE Bay Area, will be honored for her commitment to increasing education and economic opportunities for low-income youth. The teacher was recognized last night at NFTE's 14th annual awards dinner on at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

In announcing the teacher awards, NFTE founder Steve Mariotti noted, "This is one of the top awards an educator can win. Our winners are not only top in the education field, but also world class in their social commitment, creativity and talent in teaching entrepreneurship. These teachers are representative of the best the education system has to offer, and it is our pleasure to recognize their contributions to the success of NFTE."

LuPaulette Y. Taylor, a teacher from McClymond's High School, BEST College Prep, is an alumni and is completing her 36th year of teaching and administrating. "My greatest joy is working with high school students and watching them blossom into critical thinkers, avid learners, and productive citizens" says Taylor. "I am enthused about NFTE because it puts students in control of their lives and futures by providing them with the skills, tools, and resources they need to make their dreams come true" Taylor added.

NFTE, with the financial support of such sponsors as The Goldman Sachs Foundation, has been working with low-income young people for more than 20 years, teaching students to channel their creativity and turn their hobbies and dreams into viable businesses.

NFTE's entrepreneurship education program teaches students the business skills they need to start their own small business, while reinforcing basic academic skills. NFTE executive director Gerald Richards says, "Everyday talented teachers make hundreds of decisions that change the lives of our youth. It is through their dedication that students learn the skills necessary to succeed."

Research shows that NFTE's program has a strong and positive impact on many of its graduates. A study conducted by Harvard University Graduate School of Education indicates that youth entrepreneurship programs such as NFTE are particularly effective at keeping students from low-income urban backgrounds on the academic track and can be a significant force in driving them toward high achievement and leadership.

Further, a recent study conducted by Brandeis University has shown that when compared to a control group, NFTE graduates are 30 times more likely to start their own businesses, and they are 20 times more knowledgeable about entrepreneurship and basic business concepts.

About NFTE
The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (www.nfte.com) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to teach entrepreneurship to young people from low-income communities to enhance their economic productivity by improving their business, academic, and life skills. Since 1987, NFTE has reached over 150,000 youth and trained more than 4,100 Certified Entrepreneurship Teachers. Currently NFTE has active programs in 25 states and 13 countries.

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