In a partnership between Independence Community College and Coffeyville Community College, a revolutionary new approach to entrepreneurship education will be offered on the Coffeyville Community College Technical Campus next semester as part of the Successful Entrepreneur Program at Independence Community College.

"I'm tremendously pleased that we've created a way to collaborate academically with CCC," said ICC President Daniel Barwick. "This program lets us approach entrepreneurship regionally, and will be a model for a sharing of human resources and facilities among the two community colleges." Linda Moley, the President of CCC, agrees. "This is a real victory for efficiency and for the county-wide delivery of educational services," she said. "My hope is that this is just the beginning."

The "Entrepreneurial Mindset" course, featuring the new "Ice House Entrepreneurship" curriculum, inspires and engages participants in the fundamental aspects successful entrepreneurs use to recognize problems in the marketplace as business opportunities. The curriculum also demonstrates how entrepreneurs seize those opportunities, many times with limited resources.

"This approach emphasizes how entrepreneurs recognize problems and then provide solutions that people want or need," said Jim Correll, facilitator/business coach of the Successful Entrepreneur Program. Through video interviews and local entrepreneurial guests, participants are exposed to the tacit knowledge in the minds of entrepreneurs that makes them successful. The first class was initiated in August in Independence and continues through the first week of December.

Brian Hight, co-owner of Magnolia Health and Home in Independence and participant in this semester’s Entrepreneurial Mindset class says “Small business will be the engine that will help Montgomery County grow. It takes a certain entrepreneurial mindset to start and grow a business, so having this resource to help develop that mindset available at both colleges will be a big win for our area's economic development."

"Making this curriculum available in both Independence and Coffeyville will inspire more business start-ups and re-inventions than any initiative I've seen since coming to the area in 2000," says Correll.

There will be a section of the class offered next semester in both Independence and Coffeyville. For more information or to pre-enroll, contact Jim Correll at 620-332-5470 or email him at [email protected].