Last month the state of New Jersey joined the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, making clear its commitment to infusing 21st century skills into education.  This concept -- of being prepared for the challenges ahead -- is nothing new to the kids at Paradise Knoll School who are participating in TREP$.  The West Milford Township elementary school officially kicked off its fourth season of TREP$ this month.  Now in fifteen area schools, TREP$ is an award-winning afterschool program that teaches kids in grades 4-8 how to start their own businesses.  Short for enTREPreneurS, TREP$ has provided a valuable forum for children to practice 21st century skills.

The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, a leading advocacy organization, has brought together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a vision for education to ensure that students emerge from school with the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21^st century.  After surveying top leaders in the business world, the Partnership developed a framework for learning that includes elements like life skills, thinking skills, entrepreneurial literacy, and authentic assessments.

“When we created TREP$ in 2005, we had a similar framework in mind,” commented co-founder Hayley Romano.  Romano, a certified teacher, created the program and continues to teach it on a volunteer basis at Paradise Knoll.  Through a series of six teacher-facilitated workshops, students in TREP$ are introduced to concepts like product development, finance, marketing, advertising, and sales in a hands-on, realistic way.  “Our main goal was to tackle entrepreneurial literacy, but in TREP$ we’re not just lecturing about business.  The kids are called on to collaborate, think critically, innovate, problem solve, and communicate through their weekly business challenges,” continued Romano. 

TREP$ is also directly aligned with the life skills component of the Partnership’s framework.  Pamela deWaal, partner in TREPS ED, LLC, added, “As parents of teenagers ourselves, we recognize the current deficit in life skills within this age group.  Entrepreneurship in general, and TREP$ in particular, naturally lend themselves to the incorporation of life skills such as leadership, ethics, accountability, productivity, people skills, and responsibility.”

The Partnership argues that authentic assessments are the essential foundation of a 21^st century education.  Romano and deWaal could not agree more, and thus, each session of TREP$ culminates with a TREP$ Marketplace.  An indoor flea-market style event open to the public, the participating students open actual businesses at the TREP$ Marketplace.  The venue offers the young entrepreneurs a powerful way to master the content and skills practiced throughout the workshops.   “By experiencing business ownership firsthand, the kids walk away able to celebrate their successes and to learn from their mistakes.  No grades are necessary – this is real-life, self-assessment,” said Romano.

Paradise Knoll’s TREP$ Marketplace will be open to all members of the public on Friday, February 27 from 6:30-8:30 pm in the school’s gym.  For more information about TREP$, visit www.trepsed.com.