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Interested in becoming a TREP$ school?
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We empower children by providing a fun, project-based learning experience which creatively integrates entrepreneurship education with the opportunity to apply business, academic, and life skills.
We envision a world where all children are given the opportunity to acquire an entrepreneurial mindset in order to prepare them to succeed in our ever-changing economy.
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Who We Are
TREPS ED, LLC provides schools, libraries, and community organizations with TREP$™, a comprehensive project-based entrepreneurship curriculum designed for students in grades 4-8.
Our History
When 9-year-old Jack Romano of New Jersey wanted yet another Lego™ set, his mother encouraged him to earn the money to buy it himself. Jack accepted the challenge and prepared for his first business launch by booking a space at a local vendors’ market. As he began production of hand-stamped wrapping paper, he realized he could use some more hands! His friend and fellow 4th-grader Hans deWaal soon came on as Jack’s business partner. The young entrepreneurs quickly sold out of their product and happily profited $35 each.
The boys’ mothers, Hayley Romano and Pamela deWaal, were proud of their boys’ financial success, but they noticed a whole host of other unexpected, valuable opportunities Jack and Hans had experienced through their brief stint as small business owners. The chance to learn basic business concepts. The chance to innovate. The chance to make decisions. The chance to work hard. The chance to see something through from start to finish. The chance to take a chance.
The experience inspired certified teachers Hayley and Pamela to develop a program that offered students in their children’s school those same opportunities. TREP$ was piloted at Paradise Knoll School in Oak Ridge, New Jersey in 2006 and was soon named winner of the New Jersey PTA’s Champion for Children Award and a top 5 finalist of the National PTA’s Phoebe Apperson Hearst Award.
As other schools began to express interest in offering the program, Hayley and Pamela seized the market opportunity and became entrepreneurs themselves, establishing TREPS ED, LLC in 2007. In 2018 TREP$ was awarded the “Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education” Award from the National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education. TREP$ has proudly helped introduce tens of thousands of students to the empowering world of entrepreneurship.
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Hayley Romano
Co-founder and Managing DirectorHayley is a certified K-8 teacher with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Bucknell University and teaching certification from William Paterson University. She taught elementary school for 12 years, specializing in Language Arts. Her favorite thing about TREP$ is that it helps kids see the real-world application of the content and skills they learn in school.
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Pamela deWaal
Co-founderPamela is a certified mathematics teacher who lives in New Jersey with her husband, son, and daughter. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Montclair State University, her desire to work with children motivated her to return to school to earn her elementary and mathematics teaching certificates from William Paterson University.
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Our Partners
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TREP$ is proud to partner with the following civic-minded organizations as we work to deliver our empowering program to thousands of students each year. These organizations are vital to advancing our mission and provide financial, in-kind, or volunteer support while leveraging their brand’s assets to raise awareness about TREP$ in their communities.
To learn more about our partnership opportunities, please contact us at info@trepsed.com.
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If you are interested in securing partners to support TREP$ in your school, we have put together some resources to help you get started!
