This article outlines how a community of practice can be designed within management education for effective leadership development. Through a qualitative study of a cohort of 25 owner-managers of small businesses, we explore how a program community of practice (PCoP) acts as a pedagogical device for focusing on the development of leadership…

Chambers of Commerce present educational opportunities for businesses as well as forums to discuss and advocate for change in the business environment. Chambers exist on the local, state, national, and international level. This article focuses on business law students working with local city and county-based chambers, with a membership of mostly…

In 2004, the New York City Department of Small Business Services and representatives from the New York City Workforce Development Funders Group joined together to form the Workforce Innovation Fund (WIF) with the goal of sharing expertise and learning and providing an avenue to merge resources to support common goals. WIF's first project was the…

This article describes examples of new food product development activities engaged in at the University of Minnesota Technical College with local industry, showing how they have been used as teaching models in the classroom. These activities have led to a program of New Product Development Assistance for small food companies in southeastern…

The Illinois Community College Board provided more than $3.3 million to community colleges during fiscal year 2009 to support local workforce and economic development services through their Business and Industry Centers. The workforce development activities conducted under this grant include customized job training on campus or on-site at a…

A classroom business venture (CBV), one component of the Human Resources School's career development program for physically disabled fifth, sixth, and seventh graders, is described. A CBV is defined as a simulated business situation where students, with teacher guidance, plan and organize the operation toward the eventual goal of distribution of…

Describes the Onarga Project, in which a group of business students worked with the people of Onarga, Illinois, to revitalize a dying community, and how business teachers can incorporate some of the ideas to improve students' understanding of small business. Discusses preliminary planning, project activities, and specific learning activities to…

Many small towns are considering community-based start-up funds (SUF) to foster development and retention of small businesses. But whether a community is large or small, a group must be well-organized before it begins to make decisions concerning the design and purpose of a small-business SUF. This primer highlights some main points a community…

The establishment of a small business training and assistance center involves the following steps. First, select a task force to determine the feasibility of establishing a center by conducting preliminary needs and resource assessments. Second, involve the community as early as possible in the planning and development of the center by such means…

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

An idea conceived by federal volunteer agency director Thomas Rauken in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program (VVLP) was officially launched in November, 1981. The program was scheduled to be federally funded for three years, and thereafter to be privately funded and operated. The VVLP formed a network of veteran volunteers who…

Directed at the chronically unemployed, poor single parents, and welfare recipients, microenterprise programs provide access to loans and technical training for the express purpose of creating small-scale self-sufficient entrepreneurs no longer dependent on public support. Lessons from international microenterprise programs, federal funding…

This report discusses the results of a case study of Working Order, a Pennsylvania program designed to develop entrepreneurs with and without disabilities by sharing the expertise, resources, and skills of small business owners. The strategy of the program is to invite competitive entrepreneurs, those who could likely produce and sell their…

The Illinois Community College Board provided more than $3.3 million to community colleges during fiscal year 2008 to provide workforce and economic development services through their Business and Industry Centers. The workforce development activities conducted under this grant include customized job training on campus or on-site at a business;…

The following papers are included: "The Visionary Entrepreneur" (Sidney J. Parnes); "Creative Discipline: Entrepreneurial Objective or Oxymoron" (Arthur Lipper III); "Wowing Your Customers" (Stew Leonard); "Results of Recent Studies Examining the Effect of Need for Achievement and Other Variables upon…