JACKSON COUNTY -- The Jackson CEO, Perry CEO, Randolph CEO, and eLaunch Williamson County are four of the entrepreneurship programs for high school juniors and seniors in Southern Illinois.
On Tuesday, the CEO Programs in Jackson, Perry and Williamson counties put on a regional trade show at at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, where student entrepreneurs promote their newly formed businesses.
"It's the culmination of the program each year, where the students put their business skills to the test," said Ken Stoner, CEO facilitator for Jackson County. "Our entrepreneurs showcase their businesses, interact with potential customers and sell their products or services."
In the CEO programs, students are immersed in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. They are experience-based programs in which the participants start their own businesses after learning from members of the local business community.
"The goal of the CEO programs is to develop the next generation of business owners, managers, and thought leaders of our region," Stoner said.
